New Beginnings
by bookworm324
Summary: Chloe is in an abusive relationship. She doesn't know how to get out and she's hurt and broken inside. who's going to be there to save her? A certain werewolf maybe? AU: All normal poeple. NOT supernaturals
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Darkest Powers series**

CPOV

I heard the door open and shrunk back into the corner of the couch, trying to be as small as possible. He was back and it was late, which meant he was probably drunk and in a bad mood.

"Chloe," he walked into the living room and practically growled at me. "Who were you talking to in the grocery store yesterday?"

"What are you talking about, Liam? I wasn't talking to anyone." Even to me, my voice sounded scared and pathetic.

He looked angry, and I knew what was going to happen next but there was nothing I could do to stop it. "No one? Then tell me why Ramon told me he saw you talking to a guy yesterday, huh!" I looked down and he backhanded me across the cheek. "Well?"

I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone; it was one of his many rules, which I had learned to obey over the years. I wasn't talking to anyone yesterday. He had just bumped into me and was saying sorry. I just looked down and kept walking, it wasn't what Ramon said at all but I couldn't tell him that.

"Can't even deny it, can you? Were you flirting with him? Were you!" Liam pulled me off the couch roughly and slapped me on the cheek again. Cornering me against the wall, helooked down at me with his cold, hard, brown eyes. "You're mine! Understand? Mine!"

He pushed me away and I landed on the floor hard. "Liam, please. Please—"

"You're so vulnerable. Vulnerable and weak and pathetic. Who would want you, anyway? You're lucky to be married to me." With that, he kicked me in the ribs and I cried out in pain but he didn't stop. His voice was so cruel and uncaring.

"You're going to pay for flirting with him." Now he was on top of me and the tears were coming but I held them back, they only make things worse.

He took off my shirt and I heard him remove his belt. _No, I don't want this tonight, the wounds from the last one still hasn't healed yet__. _"Please, Liam, please. I'm sorry! Sorry! Please, please don't!"

I felt the belt hit my back and I didn't have the strength to hold back the tears anymore. He kept hitting me, there on the floor of the living room and the sobs just kept coming. "Don't forget who you belong to, Chloe! Don't forget how lucky you are that you're not alone, you worthless excuse for a person." It felt like forever when he finally stopped.

"Don't even bother coming to bed tonight. I don't want you anywhere near me." He kicked me two more times in the ribs and I coughed up blood. Then he turned and went up the stairs to the bedroom, leaving me on the floor bleeding and crying.

It was surprising how the chains of love bind you. I knew that after three years of abuse and rape I should have had stopped loving him and just walked out, but I couldn't stop loving him. I couldn't stop holding on to the hope that the sweet, romantic man I met four years ago still exists.

There were some days where I could still see him in the monster I lived with now. Where he'd cuddle with me on the couch while watching a movie or buy me flowers and chocolate and tell me he loved me. Those were the days that kept me here, because they told my heart that he still loves me even though my mind knew better.

**Sorry it's a little short, I'll try for longer chapters next time, promise. How was it? Should I continue? Please tell me! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You made my day! Here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Darkest Powers**

CPOV

I had to go out today to buy groceries and this huge bruise on my cheek would not help things. Everyone always stared when I go out like this and I couldn't blame them but couldn't they have the decency to avert their eyes? It wasn't like they could do anything to help me and there was nothing I could do to help myself, so why couldn't they all just leave me alone?

Walking down the stairs, I held my breath because Liam has been too quiet lately. When I got to the front door, he wasn't there asking where I had been and that was just even stranger. I was worried and I had every right not to be.

I shouldn't be worried, shouldn't care what happened to him but I did. Another funny thing about love, it didn't let you move on so easily. After that beating I took two nights ago, I should have realized he was a monster but sometimes he was just too convincing, even for me.

*Flashback*

I woke up on the living room floor, sore and aching. My head was pounding and a sharp pain shot through me when I tried to get up. I gasped and fell back on the floor but knew I couldn't stay there. He'd expect the "mess" to be cleaned up.

"Chloe."His voice is gentle this time and my heart melts even though it shouldn't.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry. You know I love you and these things would happen a lot less if you just listened to me and not flirted with that guy." He looked at me as if this was entirely fault and he was talking to me as if I was a child.

Anger boiled up in me like a white-hot wave and I was so tempted to yell at him. To tell him that this was all _his_ fault and _not mine_. But I didn't have the guts to and he towered over me as if I really was a child and I knew I would just get another beating.

I had always been small and not much of a fighter. At twenty-five and married to Liam I was constantly reminded that I was nothing but a short, small child that couldn't do anything to defend herself.

"You know I love you, right, Chloe? I'll always love you." Every time he said those three words I fell for him all over again and I knew it was foolish but there was nothing I could do to stop it.

All I could say was."I love you, too, Liam."

"Good." Then he kissed me on the lips and walked out the door without a backward glance.

*End Flashback*

Pulling into the parking lot of the local grocery store, I took a deep breath to prepare myself for the inevitable stares and got out of the car.

Already I could feel the people on either side of me staring and whispering about the girl with the violent purple, blue bruise on her cheek. For all they knew, I could've fallen down some stairs. So they had nothing to stare at. Absolutely_ nothing_.

Sighing, I made my way over to the place they sell coffee because Liam wanted some yesterday and slapped me on the cheek with the bruise for not thinking to buy some.

He was always crazy about coffee. I remember when we first met and the first conversation we had was something to do with coffee.

*Flashback*

I was lonely and sad so I decided to take a walk in the park. My boyfriend had just broken up with me and I was devastated. I really did like him and thought our relationship was fine, and then today, he told me he was cheating on me for three months now and he liked her better so it was over. Just like that, the guy I dated for two years walked out of my life.

Walking, lost in my thoughts, I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into Liam.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." He smiled at me and reached out his hand to steady me.

"It's no problem. I wasn't watching where I was going either." His smile made my heart stutter erratically and a blush crept up my cheeks.

"I'm Liam, who're you?" He looked at me in a way I wasn't expecting. As if I was something interesting and amazing. No boy had ever looked at me like that before.

"I-I'm Ch-Chloe," I managed to stammer out then blushed harder, if that was possible.

He grinned and nodded as if everything made perfect sense. "Well, Chloe, I'm headed out to the coffee shop, would you like to come?" He looked as if it would make his day if I said yes and I couldn't say no to someone so beautiful. His eyes were deep pools I could drown in and his hair looked so soft, I wanted to run my fingers through it.

"O-of course. I'd love to." I managed to smile at him and he swept his hand out as if to say "after you".

We had an amazing time in the coffee shop and I couldn't believe how well we got along. That night, I went home and told my friend Liz everything. About how I thought I'd found the one for me. She warned me not to get in too deep so fast and that I should get to know him more and see all sides of him first, before I do anything rash.

I didn't listen to her.

*End Flashback*

There was a guy looking at the coffee already. He was tall and had dark haired and even through his shirt, I could see he was muscular. He reminded me so much of Liam that I started to shake and backed up against the stack of crackers behind me. It tumbled to the ground, bringing me with it.

He turned and noticed me on the floor and I must've been shaking really hard because he immediately raised his hands in an "I surrender" position. It did nothing but make me shake harder and he probably noticed but didn't say anything.

Slowly, he lowered one of his hands and held it out to me. "Hey, you look like you could use some help." He looked serious and his eyes told me he wasn't going to hurt me but he just reminded me too much of Liam.

Outside, where everyone else lived normal lives, the reality of mine hit me in the face and it was terrifying. I was not just weak and pathetic Chloe Saunders, I was weak, pathetic, useless unwanted Chloe Saunders who was abused by her husband and did nothing to stop it.

"Hey, come on, here let me help you up." He was bending down to me and it was too much, the height, the size. It was just too much.

I scrambled up and it was so painful that I almost fell back down but somehow managed to remain standing by sheer adrenaline. Then, I retreated as fast as possible and went home, even though I hadn't finished taking care of the groceries and would probably get a beating tonight because of it.

But even as I was leaving him behind, there was something about him that I couldn't let go of. It was his eyes. His emerald green eyes that looked so harmless and serious. I wanted to fall in those eyes and never come out. But how could someone like him want to talk to someone like me?

DPOV

I was just standing there trying to decide which brand of coffee to buy. I mean honestly, how many brands could there be and how could one of them taste better than the other? I always got a lecture from Tori and Simon when they let me buy the coffee, but I didn't care this time, coffee is coffee. _End of story_.

All of a sudden, I heard a loud crash behind me. When I looked, there was this absolutely gorgeous girl sitting in a pile of crackers staring at me.

She was beautiful but the thing was, she looked absolutely terrified not to mention she had a huge purple bruise on her right cheek. So I did the only thing I could think of, I raised my hands to tell her I meant no harm and walked toward her slowly. She was shaking so hard. _What could I have possibly done to make her this scared?_

"Hey, you look like you could use some help," I told her trying to tell her she was safe. She just stared at me and shook harder, though I didn't think she realized it.

"Hey, come on," I tried to look the least intimidating as I could, which was hard because I was 6'8" and muscular. "Let me help you up." Bending toward her, I noticed a wedding ring on her finger and my breath left me. _Why did she have to be married? He'd better be treating her right._

Suddenly, she was scrambling up and walking away from me as fast as she could. I saw a look of pain cross her face and I was scared for her. I had just met this girl, yet she already had me worrying about her.

**So there it is… Tell me what you guys think ok? I tried to make this chapter longer, hope I succeeded. Reviews make my day and are highly appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to all you faithful readers who reviewed! You guys rock! Ok, so I'm gonna stop writing CPOV, if it just starts in on the story then it's gonna be Chloe's point of view. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Darkest Powers**

Opening the door to what has been my prison for two years now, I couldn't help wondering if Liam was home yet. Some people might say it was impossible for me to still love him but they were wrong. Against all the odds, I was still in love with him, even though he has done more than punch me every chance he gets.

It was ironic that I was thinking this when it happened. The door closed behind me and suddenly, I felt something hard hit me in the stomach.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Now I was looking up at a furious Liam towering over me, and it was so much scarier than the other times. The shaking began and I couldn't control it, I was so scared.

"CHLOE! Answer me you worthless piece of junk!"

"I-I w-was at the st-store, to get co-coffee."

"Coffee. Ha! Coffee! You dared to go out without asking me? What were you doing? Cheating on me? You were cheating on me weren't you! WHO IS HE?"

"No one, Liam. No one. I swear!" He backed me up against the wall and I felt him gripping the tops of my arms. It hurt and I knew I was going to have a bruise there tomorrow. The shape of his fingers imprinted on my skin.

That was when I noticed it, he smelled different. As a matter of fact: he smelled like perfume, as if he'd been with someone else while I was out. Now that I think of it, he didn't come home last night.

"You smell different. You accuse me of cheating on you when _you're_ the one cheating on _me_." He pushed me to floor roughly and kicked me in the ribs. Once: I screamed. Twice: ripping agony. Three times. "Please, Liam. Please! PLEASE STOP!" Four. The world was swimming; I was coughing up blood. It hurt and the tears came. Still, he didn't stop. The kicks kept coming again and again. Relentless.

Finally, he stopped and I opened my eyes only to be met with his cruel ones staring back at me. Those eyes used to show me love and devotion. Now they only show me hatred. There was no love in there for me but still…I couldn't help hoping.

"You have no right to talk to me like that. Do you hear me? You're mine!" His eyes, there was something about his eyes. They scared me. He looked beyond reason. Then he smirked at me.

"Besides, I can be with whoever I want to be. She was much better in bed than you'll ever be."

His words were so cruel; they matched his eyes. Cold and uncaring. There was no love there anymore. He didn't love me anymore. There was no mistaking it this time. He didn't love me. Maybe he never had.

"You pathetic child. Can't even defend yourself can you? Who would want you? Weak and used. Not even the most desperate person out there would want you!" Now he was laughing at me and he looked like he was enjoying himself.

The tears kept coming and now I was sobbing and I couldn't stop. There was only one thing that could come next and I was powerless to stop it.

"STOP CRYING! You've got nothing to cry about! You should be happy you have someone as amazing as me. I mean look at you, no one wants you."

This did nothing but make me cry harder and I knew he couldn't stand this. It only made him angrier and the beatings were always worse. It was another of his rules: I wasn't allowed to cry.

He kicked me again in the ribs and I knew it was broken, I could feel it. "Please, Liam. Please, please, please. STOP! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE! Liam."

I didn't know what came over me but I got up. The pain riped through me and I gasped almost falling back down but managed to stay upright by sheer will power.

"What do you think you're doing? Get back down, Chloe. Do. It."

"Please, Liam. Please, it hurts." He pushed me back down and the pain was too much. Black spots danced in my vision but before the blackness could claim me, he was on top of me.

"You need to be reminded of who you belong to."

All my clothes were ripped off and now I was lying naked under an equally naked Liam. _When did he take his clothes off?_ I whimpered. He couldn't do this, he couldn't. But if I said no, I'd get another beating and he'd still rape me.

"Don't forget who you belong to, Chloe. You'll always be mine."

When it was over, he got off me and left without a backward glance. No "I love you."No "sorry." Nothing. He didn't love me anymore. I was just the pet he kept at home. Something to boost his self esteem and not the woman he married. Not the woman he loved.

It hurt. Everywhere hurt.

I couldn't stay here anymore. I still loved him but he didn't love me, so why should I stay here anymore?

Getting up hurt, and I gasped again as a few more tears escaped. Moving slowly up the stairs, I packed my things. Couldn't come back here, I just couldn't.

Aunt Lauren would say it was about time I left him, but she didn't fully understand the situation, no one did.

Leaving my bag on the stairs, I crept down and checked the kitchen and living room in case he hadn't really left but he had. It was Saturday, which meant he probably went to the bar with his friends. Good, I'd be able to get out without having to bump into him.

I picked up my bag and walked out the door, all the while trying to breathe through the pain. This was it. I was going to walk away and not look back just like he had done to me every day.

But I couldn't do it, not the way he did. This house symbolized our life together. The wedding band on my finger meant we were supposed to be together forever, through thick and thin. Our love was supposed to be never ending. But it was all a lie on his part. I couldn't let go that easily.

It didn't used to be like this. We used to have fun and I used to be happy with him. He never used to hit me back then, but looking back I could see the signs that he was just trying to control me. _How had I missed that?_

*Flashback*

We were walking down the street after watching a movie. It was late, so Liam put his jacket on me to keep me warm. Then, someone behind us called me.

I turned around and was face to face with Peter, my friend from high school.

"Chloe, I thought that was you. How have you been?"

I smiled, Peter hadn't changed at all. "Hey, Peter. I'm great. Life's good right now."

Just then, Liam wrapped his arm around my waist, making his presence known.

"Oh, Peter, this is my boyfriend Liam. Liam, this is my friend Peter."

I looked up at Liam, and he had an angry expression on his face. When I introduced Peter, he just nodded and pressed me closer to him.

"Hey, man. It's nice to meet you." Peter held his hand out for Liam to shake but he ignored it and turned to me instead.

"Chloe, we should get going. It's getting late and you must be cold. Besides you have to get up early tomorrow for class remember?"

I shot him a look. No way was he getting away with that but he was right. I did have class tomorrow.

Reluctantly, I turned back to Peter and give him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Peter. I do have to get up early tomorrow. Maybe we could get together sometime and catch up."

He gave Liam a look and as he turned to me, that look turned to one of worry. "Okay, I'll give you my number. Call me anytime you can and take care of yourself, Chloe."

He handed over a piece of paper and looked me in the eyes, as if to say "listen to me".

I gave him a reassuring smile and thanked him.

"Chloe, we really should get going soon." Liam reminded me

"Right, okay," I tucked the paper in my purse and turned to wave goodbye.

"Bye, Peter."

He nodded. "Bye, Chloe."

When Liam and I were around the corner, he pushed me back against the wall and looked me in the eye.

"You're not going anywhere with him."

"What?" he had no right to tell me whom I could and couldn't see.

"Liam, Peter's my friend and you're telling me I can't see him? You have no right to tell me whom I can and can't see! Besides, you were just really rude to him!"

"Don't raise your voice at me." His eyes narrowed and there was a glint in his eye I didn't like.

"Do you want me to leave you, because I will? If you don't love me, I don't have any reason to stay with you."

He turned around and walked away from me, leaving me there against the wall. Then, there was this feeling in my chest. It was seizing up; I didn't want to lose him.

"Liam! Liam, wait! Please! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I promise I won't go out with Peter. I won't see him anymore."

He looked pleased and leaned down to give me a peck on the lips.

"Good, because I don't want to lose you either. I love you, Chloe. Never forget that."

I blushed and we continued walking, as if we never ran into my friend. The warning he gave me was completely forgotten.

*End Flashback*

I walked down to the sidewalk and look back one more time. _Goodbye, Liam. I love you._ The tears started up again and I hated them. Why did I have to be so weak? Why? I'd had so many chances to get out, yet I kept coming back. How could I have been so blind to the real person he really was?

I walked on for a few more blocks when the pain got to me. My breathing was already ragged but now it just got even worse. The world was spinning around me, the bag that practically had nothing in it felt as if it weighed a ton and the pain felt like it doubled in intensity.

I groaned and suddenly the ground was rushing up to meet me. Then the world went black.

**I'm not really sure about this chapter. Tell me what you guys think. For anyone who wants to know I'm only going to be updating once a week. Once again, review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

DPOV

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

The heart monitor was so annoying! But I'd rather be annoyed, though, than have to listen to the silence that would mean death. _Why do I care about this girl so much? I hardly know her and yet I'm worried about her. What was she doing on that sidewalk any way? How did she end up there, broken, bleeding and alone? Why—_

A groan interrupted my thoughts. _She's awake!_

"Make it stop." I assumed she meant the beeping, which I was getting used to.

"That's not possible. You know you should be glad it's still beeping."

She gasped and opened her eyes, I assumed to see who was talking to her. When she saw me, a look of confusion crossed her face, which was quickly replaced with pain and then recognition.

"You're the guy from the grocery store." Her voice sounded hoarse and scratchy, so I gave her a glass of water but she flinched when I got too close. _What had happened to her?_

"Yeah, that's me." Why did that hurt? I hardly knew her, and of course she didn't know my name. I didn't even know hers! _Get a grip, Derek!_

She seemed to realize she was in an unfamiliar room. I was surprised she hadn't guessed by now, the beeping kind of gave it away.

"You're in the hospital."

"How'd I get to the hospital? Did you bring me here? What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

The look of pure anguish and pain on her face told me she did now. Whatever happened to her must've been really horrible for her to look so devastated.

"Derek, aren't you hungry?" Simon poked his head in the doorway, followed by Tori.

"You're awake. Good, I was beginning to wonder when you'd wake up," Tori, said, point blank.

"Tori, do you always have to be so blunt? Sometimes I can't believe we're related."

"Well, do you always have to be so optimistic? It's annoying."

"At least—"

"Stop it!" I couldn't believe they were arguing—here of all places.

Simon looked over and saw my expression. He gave me an apologetic smile but Tori's attention was on the girl in the bed.

I looked at her and she looked sad and amused at the same time. How was that possible?

"You'll have to excuse us. My brother Simon over there doesn't know how to think before speaking. I'm Tori, and your knight in shining armor over there is Derek."

"So, you know who we are but we don't know who you are. Why don't you tell us your name?" I could hear the curiosity in Simon's voice but he was trying to be polite and give her some space. Smart.

"Um, I-I'm Chloe." She looked nervous but her hands were shaking, indicating how scared she was. Why should she be scared? I didn't understand her at all.

Simon extended his hand to her, probably so she could shake it. It was how he greeted everyone he met. But her reaction was not what we were expecting.

She looked terrified and she was shaking all over. Moving herself to the corner of the bed, as far away from Simon as she could get, and then she started crying.

"Please, please don't hurt me! Please!"

I was shocked. _Hurt her?_ She looked so broken and helpless that I wanted to hold her but at the same time, I wanted to go punch the jerk who did this to her. The jerk that put her in this hospital and who broke her so completely.

Simon leaned forward, toward her and I caught his arm. He looked at me questioningly and I shook my head at him. Physical contact wouldn't be a good thing; it would just scare her even more.

"Hey," I tried in a soothing voice. "I'm not going to hurt you. Simon wasn't going to hurt you either."

She stared up at me with her sapphire blue eyes, but I could still see how scared she was, this wasn't getting us anywhere.

I sighed, "We'll leave, okay? You should get some rest, you look exhausted."

Turning around, I felt a shaking hand grab my wrist. When I looked down at her, she was closer to me, and I could tell she was in pain. Probably from how much she'd moved in the last couple of minutes.

"Please, please don't go. I don't want to be alone. Please don't."

She was begging me. This gorgeous, broken girl was begging me not to leave. Somehow this made me feel happy, but that only lasted a second. I shouldn't feel happy when Chloe was so sad and scared. I could see how much pain she was in and it killed me.

"Okay, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here, okay?" As if to prove my point, I sat down on the chair beside her bed and she let go of my wrist. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand, but I didn't want to push her.

"Is it okay if Simon and I stayed, too? We'll stay over here though, okay?" Tori's voice sounded soothing and gentle. I looked over at her in surprise and saw she was looking at Chloe with a sympathetic expression. Simon, on the other hand, had his mouth hanging open in shock. The sight was too funny; I couldn't help laughing at him.

I looked over at Chloe saw that she was smiling in amusement. It was nice to see her smile. She nodded her answer to Tori's question and I was glad. I wanted to be a part of her life, but I wanted her to accept my family, too.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Simon tried to hide the curiosity in his voice but it was still there.

I felt the bed moving and looked at Chloe. She was shaking again and the pain on her face was so much worse than last time.

I shot Simon an angry look and then returned my attention to Chloe.

"You don't have to answer his question, Chloe. Simon wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

Now I was the one not thinking as I reached out and grabbed her hand, rubbing soothing circles to try to calm her down. She froze and shook more violently. Shoot.

Realizing my mistake, I let go immediately. "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking. Sorry!"

She looked at me with a confused expression. Why would _she_ be confused? I didn't know what to say and it seemed like Tori and Simon didn't either. Then, I realized she probably had family who were worried about her.

"Do you want us to call anyone for you? To tell then you're in the hospital?" I asked this question carefully, in case I said something wrong. Who knows? Maybe something happened with her family.

She shook her head, no. "My mom and dad are dead and so is my aunt. I don't really have anyone to call."

"I'm sorry." And I was. I knew what it felt like to have no one.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault."

Wait, if she didn't have a family, where was she going? And did she have a place to stay once she got out of here?

"If you don't have any family, where were you going?"

"I-I wasn't going a-anywhere. I w-was just walking."

I looked at her like I didn't believe her but decided not to push it.

"So, do you have anywhere to stay when you get out of here? A friend's place?" I hesitated. Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I needed to know. "Do you have a home to go back to?"

She looked so devastated when I mentioned home. That was all the clarification I needed. She didn't have anywhere to go. The thought made me sad.

Chloe shook her head and I wanted to hug her and tell her everything was okay, and that I would protect her.

_Whoa, hug her? Protect her? You hardly know her! Get a grip, Derek! It would just look weird if you hugged her._ My subconscious was really annoying today.

"You should come home with us." Tori's voice sounded sad and I knew Chloe had got to her, too.

"Oh, no, I can't. I don't want to intrude. Really, I'm fine." Chloe was shaking her head violently and there was a determined expression on her face.

"Chloe, you wouldn't be intruding, really. It's okay." I insisted.

"Yeah, I like to have another person in the house. Tori and Derek can get a little boring sometimes." Simon tried to lighten the mood, but I could tell he felt sorry for Chloe as well.

"Are you sure?" Her voice sounded so insecure.

"Of course. I don't say anything I'm not sure about. Besides, it's not like you have anywhere else to go. Right?" Tori's logic was fool proof. No one could argue with her.

I could see Chloe was about to give in.

"Okay, um, thanks." She gave Tori a smile.

"There's no need to thank me."

Chloe's eyes were starting to droop. No surprise there, she must be really tired.

"We'll leave so you can get some rest." I started to stand up but, again, Chloe grabbed my wrist.

"Stay." She mumbled.

I smiled. I guess she didn't want to be alone right now.

Simon and Tori made a gesture that they were leaving and I nodded. I wanted to be alone anyway.

Leaning forward, I removed her hand from my wrist and told her,"I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry."

**I'm so sorry it took longer to get this chapter out! It just didn't come out right, no matter what I tried! The other chapters I wrote just came out. No thinking required. So again, I'm sorry. I don't think this chapter was great. It's not me best. What do you guys think?**


	5. Chapter 5

When I woke up, Derek was still sitting in the chair by my bed. It looked like he hadn't moved at all since the last time I saw him.

"Hey, feeling better?"His eyes show compassion for me. I didn't deserve his compassion. What was I but a worthless, pathetic person who couldn't even look after myself?

"Chloe. Are you okay?" I looked up and was met with his expressive emerald eyes. I could see him react to the expression on my face, the pain and worry clearly evident. Looking down at the blanket, I nodded, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes. I hate it that I was the person who put it there.

_Who is this guy? This guy who makes me care for him and worry about him and all I really know about him is his name!_

"Are you sure? You want me to get you anything?" The concern was even there in his voice! He had no reason to worry about me so why should he? I tried to ask him this but my throat was so dry,

"Could you, um, get me some water? I'm kind of thirsty."

"Sure, I'll be right back, okay?" Was he asking my permission to leave? Why would he do that? I didn't understand this guy at all. Nodded slowly, I didn't meeting his eyes, in case they confused me more.

Derek left and I had nothing else to entertain myself except for the memories. The memories of Liam, of what I'd lived through for years, every kick, punch, every name he has ever called me. _Slut. Whore. Worthless. Pathetic._

The memories were so sharp and vivid; I thought I heard him call my name somewhere in the hallway. It seemed so real, and so close. I started to shake so hard the bed was shaking along with me. Sharp pains were shooting through my chest but I couldn't stop and it didn't help that I couldn't stop thinking about Liam either. I should've known it didn't matter, I was still married to him, he could always find me no matter where I ran. What was the point of running away? I'd always belong to him, anyway.

"Chloe." That voice. That voice I never wanted to hear again. I looked to the doorway and there he was.

Liam looked absolutely livid and the look in his eyes scared me to death. The shaking increased in intensity and I couldn't seem to stop. He took a step toward me and my breathing hitched. Now, I was hyperventilating and the pain in my ribs increased.

The world was swimming when he raised his hand to hit me across the cheek. I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow but it never came. _What's going on?_

Opening my eyes, I was met with the sight of Derek's back. He had both arms raised in a protective position in front of me, effectively blocking Liam's punch.

"Get out of my way!" The sound of his raised voice scared me to death. It bounced off the walls of the room and came back to me as if it was trying to trap itself in my mind and torture me while I slept.

"You have no right to treat her like that. What did she do to you, anyway?" Derek's voice was calm and deadly. It scared me, too, but not as much as Liam's did.

"I have no right? _YOU_ HAVE NO RIGHT TO KEEP ME FROM MY WIFE! Now, get out. Of. My. Way."_So scary. Please, someone make him stop yelling!_

"Considering you were about to punch her, you're the one who has no right to be around her. Even if she is your wife. Get out of here before I break your neck."

"Chloe is mine. She will always be mine. I love her and she loves me. Don't you dare tell me otherwise," I put my hands over my ears. No, I didn't want to listen to these lies! No, no, no. "Chloe, get rid of him. You're going home with me. NOW!"

I whimpered. I didn't want Derek to go, no, no, no. "NO! Please, please, Derek, don't go! Please don't go!" I was shaking my head violently and the beeping from the machines was increasing.

"Chloe, I'm your husband. How dare you say 'no' to me!" He raised his hand again to slap me but Derek blocked his way.

"Don't you dare touch her! Get out of here while you still can." I couldn't see his expression but his voice sounded deadly. It scared me so much. The beeping increased to an alarming rate, but I didn't think anyone noticed.

"What's going on in here?"Tori was standing in the doorway, a dangerous expression on her face. Why was everyone so angry? _Someone make them stop yelling! _I was gripping the sheets so hard, my knuckles were white; but it wasn't stopping the shaking.

"Chloe, you weak, pathetic idiot! Letting these strangers stand up for you! You're such a coward!"

"You! Who do you think you are? Huh? You have no right to talk to her like that! Get out! NOW!" Tori pointed an accusing finger at Liam. The fire in her eyes, pure hatred, was terrifying. I pulled myself to the farthest corner of the bed and curled myself into a fetal position, wrapping my blanket around me.

"N-no. No, p-pl-please, please st-stop. No m-more." My voice sounded so pitiful and frail. It was shaking just like the rest of me, and there wasn't much more I could take.

Derek glanced back at me and seemed to think something was wrong because he automatically took a cautious step toward me.

"Shhh, Chloe. Hush, it's okay. No one's going to hurt you. I promise. I won't let him hurt you." His calming voice didn't soothe me this time. It couldn't, not with Liam so close.

My breathing was picking up and the shaking increased, if that was even possible. The world was spinning again and I knew I was hyperventilating. People were talking, I knew that much, but sound had completely escaped me. Everything was reduced to the fear and terror that man induced in me.

Black dots distorted my vision and I felt the sweet escape of unconsciousness claim me. The last thing I heard was "This isn't over." Then, everything disappeared.

* * *

My head was pounding and my ribs were hurting more than usual. I groaned and heard someone sigh.

Opening my eyes, I saw Simon sitting by my bed. _What happened?_ The last thing I remembered before blacking out was Liam calling me names and Tori yelling. And Derek. Derek protected me from _him_. Confusion must have shown clearly on my face because Simon gave me an apologetic smile.

"You passed out after having a panic attack," he paused and looked at me to gauge my reaction "I guess all the yelling and arguing was too much for you. I don't blame you though. I'd probably freak out too if _that_ happened to me."

_That?_ What did he mean? He couldn't know about Liam and the abuse could he? I didn't tell anyone! It was still _our_ dirty little secret. Unless they figured it out…

Derek came in and saw my distressed expression. He nodded to me in acknowledgement before turning to Simon and gave him a look. Simon gave him an apologetic smile and Derek shook his head before turning to me with a cautious expression.

"I should've known better then to let that go on for so long. I should've gotten rid of him when I saw how much he upset you." I shook my head.

"You didn't know. My fault." I whispered, and it was. If I'd just stayed with Liam instead of running away, I wouldn't have caused him so much trouble. His life would still be normal and he wouldn't be practically living in the hospital.

"Chloe. It is _not_ your fault. Do you hear me? It's not."

"But—"

"No, Chloe. Don't blame yourself for something out of your control." His voice was soft but stern at the same time.

I just nodded because what was the point of arguing with him? Every time I talked back to Liam, I got a punch in the face and sometimes, he'd strip me down and take me, right there. Better to just agree with everything.

Despite having been awake for just half an hour, I was getting tired. My eyes wouldn't stay open but I didn't want to go back to sleep. I didn't want to lose sight of those piecing emerald eyes.

I felt the bed dip slightly and someone brushed some hair from my face. This gesture felt so intimate and I wanted them to stop but at the same time, I didn't want them to stop. Derek's voice filled my head; I'd recognize that voice anywhere. _What does that mean?_

"Go to sleep, Chloe. We'll be right here when you wake up. You're safe."

I let him calm me and felt myself drifting into unconsciousness. Derek continued to talk soothingly to me and I fell asleep to the sound of his voice.

**Review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chloe's been in the hospital for about 3 weeks now. I don't have **_**that**_** many ideas, so I'm skipping past a couple weeks. **

Home. What, exactly did that word mean? What did people mean when they say I was going home? The doctor said I could go home today. What did that mean?

When Mom and Dad were alive, home was an old, white house in Buffalo with a wrap-around porch and an old apple tree in the back yard. When I married Liam, home was the dark, filthy prison I shared with him. That was all gone now. _So, where's my home?_

I was so sure Liam would be the one for me, the one to make me happy, the one to take care of me. The one who I would spend the rest of my life with. I couldn't have been more wrong.

A knock on the door distracted me from my thoughts. Looking up, I was met with the sight of a very excited looking Simon. _Why should he be excited?_

"Hey, Chloe. Are you ready to go? Derek and Tori are waiting outside with the car." I gulped. I had tried to get out of coming home with them but to no avail. Tori was a stubborn person when it came to what she wanted, something I was just discovering.

"Yeah, okay," I said, in an attempt to look normal. Simon bent down to pick up the bag with all my worldly possessions in it, and held out his hand to help me up. I flinched and he gave me a sad smile before lowering it.

"Sorry." I looked down at my hands, ashamed.

"Don't be sorry. I'm not upset. It's okay."Simon's voice sounded gentle and honest. I looked up at him and he gave me a smile. "Now, let's get out of here."

I got off the bed slowly since I still had a couple of bruises that hurt a lot, and my ribs were still a little sore. We made our way to the entrance and sure enough, there stood Tori and Derek beside a sleek black car.

Derek gave me a reassuring smile, probably seeing my unease. "Hey, ready to go?"

I nodded, not sure if I could trust my voice. I heard a door open and looked up to see Tori coming around from the other side of the car. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

The house was beautiful, with rich brown wood and a wide porch. There was a tall tree in the front yard and it had a calm, peaceful feeling to it. It reminded me of my childhood.

Derek got out and opened the door for me, making sure to avoid contact. Ever since that day in the hospital with Liam, I flinched every time someone got too close or raised their hands. This made it extremely hard for the doctors to treat me but somehow they managed.

"Well, here it is. Home. Come on, I'll show you around." Simon sounded way too eager for someone offering to show an almost stranger the place where he lived.

I was really tired and didn't feel up to walking around a house all day but I didn't tell him that. If he wanted to show me around, he could. It was his house. Derek must've noticed my exhaustion because he shot Simon a look that said "back off a little". "Chloe, if you're tired, we can do the tour another time. You should rest."

_Why does he notice everything about me? How does he do it?_

Simon looked a little disappointed and I didn't want to disappoint him, so I hesitated. Derek sighed and started walking toward the house. The rest of us followed him and waited while he opened the door.

When we got inside he turned around and looked me in the eyes. I looked down and examined the wood paneling on the floor. "Chloe, are you tired?"

I nodded slowly, not wanting to look up in case someone got angry.

"Okay, I'll show you where your room is and you can get settled in." I looked up again and Derek was gesturing toward some stairs that lead up. Simon and Tori had mysteriously disappeared, so it was just us.

We headed up and I couldn't help marveling at how spacious the house was. I wouldn't have been able to notice this from outside, but there was actually a lot of room on the inside and it was so open. I loved it already and that scared me.

That little voice in the back of my mind kept telling me, _Remember, Chloe, don't get too comfortable. Once they get tired of you, they'll just kick you out and then where will you be?_

Derek stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall and opened it. "This is your room," then, he pointed to the door across the hall, "And that's the bathroom. You have your own so you don't have to worry about anyone walking in."

"Okay, um, thanks."

We stood there in an awkward silence for a while until he put my bag down on the bed and turned to give me my privacy. "So, I'll be downstairs if you need anything." He turned and left, although it looked like he didn't want to.

I closed the door and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep without another thought.

_I was in a dark room, it looked familiar but I couldn't place it. Something about it sent chills up my spine and I was so scared. Suddenly, someone called my name and when I turned around, Liam was standing there with a violent glint in his eyes. I was rooted in the spot from fear as he advanced on me. "You thought you could get away from me so easily?" He sneered at me._

"_Who do you think you are? You're mine, Chloe__,__ and don't you forget that! You belong to me and only me!"_

_He grabbed me and ripped my clothes off. Then he punched me in the stomach, causing me to drop to the ground, screaming in agony. He kicked me in the ribs and a belt materialized in his hand. He started to whip me and hit me and kick me. And rape me. Every hit and punch I __had__ ever received from him was replaying like a film on repeat._

_Every name he'd ever called me, every hit, every punch, every day of my life was playing on in endless loop. I screamed and screamed for him to stop. It hurt so much__;__ there was so much blood. _He's killing me!_ Please someone save me! Save me! PLEASE! AHHHHHHHH!_

"Chloe! Chloe, wake up. It was a dream. Shhh, it's just a dream. It's not real. Just a dream." Derek's frantic and worried voice filled my head and I looked up to see his jewel green eyes staring at me.

I started shaking violently. I was so scared he was going to hit me, I started sobbing and I couldn't stop. "P-please."Sob. "Please…d-don't-t."Sob. "Hurt…me."

I felt hands rubbing soothing circles on my back and Derek's comforting voice in my ear. "Chloe. Chloe, I won't hurt you, I promise. I could never hurt you." His words made me cry harder and I felt him wrap me in his arms. This caused the shaking to intensify and when he made to let go, I panicked.

"N-no, please…please d-don't-t let g-g-go."

"Okay." Derek tried to soothe me while I cried but what he was saying wasn't comforting me at all. "Shhh, Chloe. It was just a dream. Not real. Shhh."

This made me cry harder because it wasn't just a dream. It was my life. The life I'd lived for so long and it hurt so much. Maybe I deserved it. All the beatings were my fault somehow, so maybe I really was nothing and I really was lucky to have _him_.

"Hush, Chloe. Nothing is your fault. Don't you think that."_Did I say that out loud?_

Derek continued to rub circles on my back and I let myself go in his arms. Sobbing uncontrollably and showing him just how broken I really am. He just wrapped me tighter against him and put me on the bed, getting in beside me.

I let myself fall apart in his arms.

When I woke up, Derek was sitting in a chair by my bed. He had a confused and worried look on his face and I didn't need to ask to know what that was about.

"Hey, are you okay?" He sounded genuinely worried about me.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine." My voice sounded scratchy and he gave me a cup of water that was sitting by me bed. "Thanks." I took a sip and put it back on the bedside table.

"So, you want to tell me what your dream was about?" Derek leaned in a little and his voice told me he wasn't going to accept no for an answer.

"I-I can't. It's something personal. I just—I can't." I looked down at the blanket and hoped he let the subject drop.

"Chloe, it wasn't _just_ a dream if you reacted like _that_."

I shook my head. _There's no way I'm telling him about my past. He doesn't need to know. He can't know._

Derek sighed and I felt the bed dip near my leg. "Chloe, look at me."

When I looked up, he was leaning on his hand—which was placed by my leg. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not like…that guy. I promise not to hurt you, Chloe. Please? Please tell me what he did to you?"

He knew. He must have known about what Liam did to me. Maybe he didn't know the details but he knew. I started to panic. _No_. _No, he can't know!_ NO! _If he knows, he'll realized just how broken I really am and decide he doesn't want me here. He'll throw me out and I'll have nowhere to go. I'll have to go back to Liam!_ NO! Nononononono! _I can't go back I just can't!_

My breath was coming in gasps and I vaguely heard Derek trying to calm me down but he sounded so far away. The only sounds left were my ragged breathing and my frantic heartbeat.

The world did that familiar swimming feeling and I felt myself falling. I heard someone anxiously calling my name, and then I fell into oblivion.

**So, tell me what you think! **


	7. Chapter 7

Rolling over, I groaned and opened my eyes. I was still in my room but the door was open and I was alone. _What happened?_ The last thing I remember was Derek waking me up and crying. I did that a lot lately.

Tori poked her head in and gave a relieved sigh when she saw I was awake. "You're up. Good. We were starting to think you would never wake up."

"How long have I been asleep?" It must've been a long time if they were worried about my health.

"Eight hours. But, you know, you had a panic attack before you actually _fell_ asleep, so we had a right to worry. Speaking of which, I'd better go tell the boys you're awake or Derek will kill me. Be right back."

She left and I could hear her telling the guys, then whoops of joy from what could only be Simon and footsteps approaching my room. Simon and Derek stood in the doorway, looking awkward. I cleared my throat and gave them a shy smile, to make them feel more comfortable.

"Hi," I whispered, looking down embarrassed.

"Hey, are you okay?" Derek took a seat on the chair by the bed and examined my face closely. I didn't know what he could possibly be looking for there but whatever it was, he must've found it because he sat back and nodded like everything made perfect sense.

Simon walked up behind his brother and Tori stood on my other side, each of them with a sad look on their faces.

"So, want to tell us what happened?"Simon's question caught me off guard and I knew I looked uncomfortable.

"Chloe, you need to tell us. We want to help you but we can't if you don't tell us what he did to you." He stated everything for me in a calm and soothing voice.

No, there was no way I was telling anyone what happened to me. Just no way. They'd all be disgusted with me. Who would want someone as weak as me in their house? Someone who couldn't even stand up for herself.

I shook my head, not wanting to tell them why I didn't want to tell them what happened. Just saying that would probably result in me getting kicked out.

Tori sighed and threw her hands in the air—which made me flinch. She threw me an apologetic smile but didn't back off. "You need to talk to someone, Chloe. Holding things in won't help you at all; it'll only make things worse."

She was right, I knew she was right, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell them. Maybe not ever.

"Chloe, we're not going to hurt you. I promise, we will never hurt you. It's okay to open up to us a little." Derek's words rang though my ears and repeated themselves over and over. They would never hurt me. I believe him, but I shouldn't. You can't really trust anyone, not even yourself.

"Chloe, look at me. I know you're scared, but, trust me, you need to let it out."

He was right, I need to let everything out in order to let go of the jerk but I was so scared. _What could I lose though, if I told them?_ Really, I've got nothing left, if they hurt me…well, it couldn't be that bad.

Steeling my resolve, I took a deep breath and looked up to meet his eyes. They were compassionate and kind but were they trustworthy? I didn't know. Maybe I shouldn't tell them, then. Derek saw the conflict in my eyes and nodded his head, as if he understood exactly what I was going through. What he said next was completely unexpected.

"You know, I'm not really Simon and Tori's brother. Not biologically, anyway." This surprised me; Simon and Tori didn't look alike, anyway, so I just assumed Derek was their brother even though he looked completely different from them.

"You're…not?" I looked at him questioningly.

"No, I guess my parents decided I wasn't worth the trouble and put me up for adoption. Of course, the family who adopted me only kept me until I was about six, and then they let me go since I was apparently too 'rebellious'. Watching TV too loud and not wanting to do what I was told was too much for them to handle. So from then on, it was foster home after foster home. None of them were very nice to me until I got to Dad." Here, he paused and gave Simon and Tori a "don't interfere or you're dead" look.

"I didn't trust people easily; those other foster parents didn't really care about me at all. They were just doing it for the money. When I got home, I was ignored, on weekends I had to feed myself, I wasn't even acknowledged when I got good grades. Every foster home was the same; no one really cared about me. When Dad became my foster parent, I didn't trust him either. I would do what I was told and keep my mouth shut. It was the only way to ensure I didn't get hurt. Eventually, he got me to open up to him, though. Every day, he would come into my room and sit there, ask me if I wanted to talk. If I said no, he wouldn't leave; just sat there with me for a while then get up and leave after ruffling my hair. That's how he wore my defenses down, by sitting in my room."

At this, Simon chuckled and punched Derek in the arm. "I was so sure Dad liked Derek better than me since he'd be in Derek's room for one or two hours every day and I was feeling neglected. But you know, we had our father-son bonding moment and it cleared up a lot of things for me."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Well, that's nice to hear. The ignorant fool was actually planning to run away to get Dad's attention. I always wondered why he didn't."

Derek sat back in the chair and watched me fidget. I trust him…a little. Maybe I should tell him then, it's not like I have anyone else to turn to. They seemed like nice people.

I looked up and took another deep breath; this time I was going to tell them. It was my turn to tell my story.

" I met him while I was walking through the park after my boyfriend broke up with me. He was the most gorgeous person I had ever seen and I couldn't believe I'd just bumped into him. We started talking and he invited me out for coffee, of course I said yes. We started dating and I married him after I graduated from university. At first, everything was fine, but one day he came home drunk and got angry at me for something. I didn't know what I did wrong, but apparently, everything I do is wrong."

Simon looked like he was about to say something but Derek held up his hand, signaling for Simon to let me finish. He knew I needed to keep going or I might never tell them the whole story.

"That was the first time he hit me, it was just a punch in the face but it hurt a lot more than you would think. After that, the beatings got worse each day. H-he'd punch me a-and k-kick me and sometimes he'd wh-whip me. When he wanted to have s-sex, it didn't matter th-that I didn't w-want to. It didn't matter where we were, as long as we were at home, h-he'd g-grab me a-and…"

They all looked horrified and Derek looked ready to murder someone. By now, I was crying and sniffling but I had to finish the story. Once I started, I couldn't stop. It felt so good to let all this out after holding it in for so long.

"After I bumped into you at the grocery store, I went home and he b-beat me for going out without his permission. He accused me of cheating on him; b-but _he_ was ch-cheating o-on _me_. This beating was worse and by the time he was done, I was bleeding and crying, which only made it worse. I w-wasn't al-allowed to cry because he said it was weak and pathetic. He told me I needed to 'remember who I belonged to' and h-he…"

Tori was rubbing my arm soothingly and Derek and Simon were giving me more sad and sympathetic expressions. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath. Almost done.

"After, he got up and walked away. That's when I knew for sure he didn't love me anymore. So, I packed my stuff and left but he beat me up so much I was in constant pain and I guess I fainted since the next thing I remember is the hospital."

I was sobbing now and Simon and Tori were telling me I wasn't weak or pathetic and I shouldn't believe a thing he said. They were wrong though, I _am_ weak and pathetic and a coward. I was all of those things he called me and more. I heard Derek sigh and glanced up at him. He was holding out his hand offering it for me to take, sort of like a lifeline I guess.

Hesitatingly, I took it and squeezed hard, trying to thank him without saying anything. He nodded, telling me he understood.

"Chloe, what's his name?" Derek was looking at me closely, watching my reaction.

"L-Liam."

This time, it was Derek who squeezed my hand softly, in a sign of comfort. Tori and Simon were rubbing my arm and back, showing me they cared, too.

"Don't worry, we're going to help you get back on your feet." Simon meant what he said and I could tell Derek and Tori felt the same way. So they weren't going to abandon me after all.

"Um, Chloe, is it okay if my boyfriend came over today? We were supposed to work on a case today. I'm a lawyer and he's a police officer. We're trying to put this guy in jail." She gave me a pointed look, which I got loud and clear. If I ever needed a lawyer, I had one.

"Yeah, um, sure. That's fine." She nodded.

"Okay, he'll be over in a bit."

"Chloe, are you sure you're okay with this?" Derek asked me, worried.

"Yes, it's fine. I'm, um, going to go to the bathroom."

Derek let go of my hand and I climbed off the bed, heading to the bathroom to wash all the tears away.

I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to see if there was anything different about me. No, I was still Chloe, weak and useless. The only difference was I'd just told my story to a couple of people I met three or four weeks ago. Something I would never have done before I met Derek. _What was he doing to me?_

Sighing, I washed my face and headed downstairs where I could hear the others talking to someone. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.

When I rounded the corner into the living room, Derek, Simon and Tori were sitting on the couch, talking to a tall, muscular man. He looked up and I recognized him instantly. He was one of the reasons I kept getting in trouble with Liam so often. Tori noticed his distraction and looked up at me and smiled, not noticing my distress.

"Chloe, this is my boyfriend, Ramon."

**This chapter took longer to write, sorry. Tell me what you think**.


	8. Chapter 8

_No, no, no. He can't be here. This isn't real; it's not happening._ Everyone was watching me with worried expressions, but I couldn't tell then what was wrong. My eyes were locked on Ramon's and I couldn't look away, I was terrified. Derek got up and walked over to me, crouching down to my level to look me in the eyes.

"Chloe, tell me what's wrong." He rubbed his hands up and down my arms in an attempt to calm me down and stop my trembling.

"H-He's L-Liam's friend." All of Derek's movements stopped the second he heard me whisper that. There was no sound in the room except for my rapid breathing.

Suddenly, Derek whirled around and picked Ramon up by his collar. "You bastard! Did you know? Did you know what your sadistic friend did to her?" He was yelling in Ramon's face, the sound echoing off the walls. I whimpered and slid down, curling into a fetal position.

"Derek, you need to calm down." Simon put his hand on Derek's shoulder but he just shrugged it off and continued to glare at Ramon who was shaking his head frantically.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Sure I'm Liam's friend, but that doesn't mean anything." He sounded so sure of himself and I could see Derek stiffen at his words.

"_Liar_, you're a police officer. The sadistic moron was _abusing_ Chloe and you just stood by and did _nothing_!"

Ramon's expression didn't waver at all, not even a flinch. Even Simon was looking furious by know.

"Ramon, you _fool_! Tell us the truth! You said you had nothing to hide, so tell me why. _Why_ you jerk!"Tori was screaming at him, and it seemed to break his mask of indifference.

"Tori, baby, I swear I would've done something if I could've but it wasn't possible. Yes, I'm a cop but that doesn't mean I know how to arrest every single moron on the planet." He paused and looked at Tori with a pleading look in his eyes.

"He threatened my family, Tori. I didn't know what else to do and once he was done with my family, he probably would've gone after you. I didn't want to bring you into it."

By now, Derek had let go of Ramon and came over to help me up, whispering a sorry in my ear.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you just report him? Or better, why didn't you just arrest him? You're a freakn' cop! There were things you could've done to prevent this from happening but you chose to ignore them." Simon sounded irritated and he looked like he wanted to punch Ramon through the wall.

"Things aren't always as simple as you seem to think they are. Liam and I have been friends since we were six. There's _history_ there and you just don't ruin a friend's life like that."

"So you just ignored it? What kind of person does that! YOU JERK!" Tori was standing directly in front of Ramon, looking up at him with a fire in her eyes which scared me to death.

"Tori." Derek walked over and grabbed her shoulder, dragged her to stand next to me and then turned around to face Ramon.

"You. Get out of here before I smash your face in." His voice was cold and calculating, not the kind, caring Derek I have been seeing so far.

"Ha! Why should I listen to you? I can do whatever I want here and you can't stop me. Maybe I'll take Chloe over there and throw her on Liam's door. Wouldn't that be nice?" He sneered at me and I tried to shrink further into the wall but that was as far as I could go.

I can't go back there! No! Not back to that monster I'd just gotten away from. No. Shaking my head furiously back and forth, I could feel myself start to shake again from the path my thoughts were taking but I couldn't stop it.

"Chloe, calm down. You need to calm down. I promise I won't let that idiot touch you ever again. I promise, Chloe. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, he's not touching you."

Derek's words registered in my ears but they didn't do anything for me. I was so scared of Ramon, just so scared.

"It's not your place to go making promises like that, Derek. You and I both know I can do whatever the hell I want and no one's going to stop me. If I want to take Chloe and throw her to the dog. I. Will."

My breathing spiked at these words and I could see the muscles in Derek's back tense.

"Don't you dare touch her you filthy mutt! Get. Out. Of. My. House!"

Ramon just smirked at him, causing chills to run down my spine. Derek took a step closer to me, blocking my body with his. "Now, now. Don't be like that. Don't you remember? Your sister is an amazing judge of character. Now, give me, Chloe. Gotta keep on Liam's good side, right?"

"Don't you dare touch her, you jerk! You're just as bad as _him_! You and me—we're through!" I flinched at the murderous look on Tori's face.

"I'm telling you right now. Get out of here while you still can, because in a few minutes, you won't even be able to _stand_ on your own."

"Is that a threat, Derek? You don't want to fight me, there's no way you can win. So, just give it to me and I'll walk out of your lives."

"IT! You just called Chloe an _IT_! Get. Out. _Now_." Derek's hands were fisting and un-fisting at his sides and I could hear the unconcealed threat in his voice. Tears made their way down my cheeks and Simon gave me a worried look.

"I'm not going anywhere until you give it to me. So go on, do what I say." All trace of kindness had left and his tone was cold and menacing. I whimpered again and Ramon smiled at me. There was something missing from his smile, it was a calculating smile that was devoid of all signs of life. It reminded me of what I saw when I looked in the mirror.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Derek lunged at Ramon and punched him in the nose, sending him flying into the wall. Ramon wiped the blood off his face, got up, looked at Derek for a moment and then sprang toward him. He hit Derek in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain.

No, no, no. Derek couldn't get hurt because of me, why would he do all this for _me_? This couldn't be happening, it just _can't_ be happening. How did everything go wrong so fast?

Derek grabbed Ramon by the shoulders and punched him in the face again, which caused him to reel back and trip over a chair. Derek was throwing punches all over the place, sometimes Ramon would get the advantage and the tables would turn. I stood rooted to the spot in sheer terror, not being able to move even to save my life.

The fight went on and on, punches and kicks everywhere, not one person being able to gain the advantage for long. Simon and Tori hovered at the edge, watching Derek's back but I couldn't bring myself to move. The fear of Ramon winning, of Derek getting hurt terrorizing my mind.

All of a sudden, the moving stopped. Ramon was holding Derek from behind; a switchblade glinted in his hand. My breathing spiked the moment I noticed and I know Derek saw but he couldn't do anything to help me.

_Derek._ Derek couldn't die—I won't let him die. But I couldn't go back to _him_, but I didn't want Derek to die! Ramon smirked at me, a glint in his eyes.

"Nobody move or he dies." I gasped.

"NO!" My body sagged against the wall, defeated. I was going back to that prison and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

Without warning, Ramon was jerked backwards and the knife dropped from his hand. I didn't understand how that happened. How…

Just then, I saw Simon standing behind Ramon, his hands in fists at his sides. He must've gotten behind Ramon somehow and caused him to drop the blade. Derek grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the door.

"DON'T YOU DARE COME HERE AGAIN!" His shout reverberated off the walls of the house. I heard the front door slam and Derek walked back in, coming to stand in front of me.

He held out his arms and I launched myself into them, sobbing into his shirt. "Shhh, Chloe. You're okay; he's gone. You're okay." His hand rubbed comforting circles on my back and eventually, my sobs decreased to small sniffles. He was always able to calm me down, no matter what state I was in. _How does he do that?_

Simon and Tori came in with a couple of bags. _Why were they carrying bags? Where were they going?_

"Where a-are you g-going?" I whispered the question but the room was so quiet, everyone could hear me.

"We're going to our dad's place, Chloe, and you're coming with us. It's not safe here for you and none of us are leaving you to deal with this on your own. We have to leave. Now."

There was urgency in Simon's voice that I didn't understand. Why wouldn't it be safe here? Ramon wasn't coming back was he? No, he _wasn't_ coming back, there's no reason to leave, so why are we leaving?

"Why?" The word seemed to hang in the air around us. Derek sighed and tightened his hold on me.

"Because it's not over yet. He's coming back whether we like it or not."

**So sorry I didn't update on Saturday! School has been kicking my butt and there wasn't any time to write this chapter! I'M SORRY! You must hate me, it's ok. Please, feel free to voice your hatred. Express yourself. **


	9. Chapter 9

This is my fault. If I hadn't tried to get away from Liam, this wouldn't be happening. Simon, Tori and Derek wouldn't have been uprooted from their home. Maybe there really wasn't anything better out there for me, maybe I was fighting fate by running away from Liam. Maybe he's all I'll ever have.

"Chloe, we're here." Tori's voice brought me out of my musing and I looked up to see everyone staring at me. I smiled at them timidly and glanced out the window.

The house was pretty, with hedges surrounding the property and a porch with a rocking chair sitting serenely on it.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go explain to Dad why we're dropping gin for a surprise, unexpected visit." For some strange reason, Simon sounded excited but there was a trace of worry behind the excitement.

Tori turned to me and rolled her eyes. "He's way too optimistic for his own good. Or anyone else's for that matter."

On that very insightful comment, we all climbed out of the car and headed to the door, carrying our luggage. Tori rang the doorbell and I fidgeted, slightly. To say I was nervous and more than a little scared was an understatement. After all, Liam had told me he loved me and that he would never hurt me. But he did, so why wouldn't Simon and Tori? And Derek? And what about their father? I hardly know him but I was going to be living in his house? This is so stupid.

Just then, the door opened and a black haired, Asian man opened the door. He looked to be around his late thirties-early forties with laugh lines around his eyes. I slid closer to Tori, trying to hide behind her.

"Dad! It's good to see you." Simon's cheerful voice broke the silence and his Dad gave him a smile.

"It's good to see you, too. Come in, but what's with the luggage?"He stepped aside and let us in, his eyes falling to me instantly. I stayed close to Tori's side, not wanting to do something wrong and get beaten for it.

Once we were all inside and sitting in the living room, Derek cleared his throat. "Dad, this is Chloe," he gestured to me, sitting beside Tori. "She's in a bit of trouble right now and we decided to help her."

"A bit is an understatement. And what about you? Have you forgotten the fact that you just assaulted a police officer? It doesn't matter that he's a butt, he's still a cop and you literally kicked him out of the house!"

"I was getting to that, Simon." There was an edge to Derek's voice that sent chills up my spine.

"Derek, you attacked a police officer? What were you thinking?"

"Dad, don't get mad, you haven't even heard the whole story yet! He had a really good reason to assault that jerk. If it was me, he would've gotten a lot more than what Derek gave him."

"What exactly happened, then?" The question was directed at Tori but Simon cleared his throat, interrupting her.

"I really think Chloe should be the one to tell you, Dad. And she might not want to right now."

Derek glanced at me, a sorry look in his eyes. What he could possibly be sorry for, I have no idea. But did I really trust these people enough with my story? What does it matter since Tori, Simon and Derek already know it? Telling one more person in't going to hurt me right? I had nothing left to lose anyway.

"Um, I-I was in a b-bad relationship f-for a while. I got out a-and was in the h-hospital for a while. I didn't have a-anywhere to g-go, so th-they took me i-in." I looked down, not wanting to say anything else.

"Well, who was the cop?" I glanced at Derek's dad, who had a confused expression on his face.

"The cop was my boyfriend, Ramon. The idiot!"

"_Ramon?_ The same guy you brought home to meet me three days ago?" Mr. Bae's voice was incredulous, like he couldn't believe they were talking about the same person.

"The one and only," Derek said in a low voice.

"What did he _do_?"

"We can't tell you, Dad. I know you want to know but I don't think Chloe's ready to tell you her story yet. Sorry." Derek didn't sound sorry at all. He sounded firm and completely sure of what he was saying. His dad looked over at me, a sympathetic look on his face

Dropping my head, I mumbled out an apology kept my eyes trained on the smooth wood floor. Someone sighed and Derek asked his dad if it was okay if we stayed here for a while. Funny how I could tell it was him talking, even though I wasn't looking at him.

"Of course. You're _all_ welcome here, any time." I glanced up and Mr. Bea was staring at me with a sympathetic expression.

"Thanks, Dad. Come on, Chloe, I'll show you your room. Well, our room really, since we only have four bedrooms, so you'll be sharing a room with me. Is that okay?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, that's fine."

"Good." We stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall and she opened it to reveal a spacious room with two plush beds on either side. Dropping her luggage by the bed on the right, Tori waved at me to come in.

"You know, I used to have a lot of sleepovers in here with my best friend. That's why I have that extra bed, she practically lived here." Tori had a sad smile on her face.

"Um, are you still friends with her?"_Oh, God why did I ask that?_ She looked so sad. Of course something bad must've happened. Stupid, stupid. I was just asking for someone to beat me senseless.

"No, we kind of had a falling out, I guess you could say." She looked at me with regret in her eyes. "We both did and said some things and so now here we are. I—"

Suddenly there was a loud crash downstairs. Tori's eyes narrowed and I gripped a pillow to me, as if it will protect me from whatever was downstairs.

"I'll go see what happened." She got up to leave and I panicked. _She's leaving? No, I don't want to be alone!_

"W-Wait! P-please, don't leave me a-alone. Please?" Even I could hear the desperation in my voice.

She looked at me closely, studying my face. I looked down, a habit from my days with Liam. "Sure, Chloe. Be quiet, though. And stay behind me at all times. Try not to trip over anything, okay?" Her voice was kind but I could hear the caution in it. She probably thinks I'd be a liability if someone broke in to her dad's house and I couldn't help but agree. What good am I to anyone anyway?

"Okay."

Tori nodded her head absently. "Good. Okay, follow me."

We started down the steps slowly, Tori angling her body between the banister and me. Once we got to the bottom, she put her finger on her lips, signaling me to keep quiet. I nodded and we continued on into the living room where Simon was telling someone they had no right to be in the house.

Now, Tori was practically running the rest of the way, leaving me to follow in her wake.

"Who the hell are you and why did you break into our house!" Standing awkwardly in the doorway, my eyes refused to leave his. He was here. Oh, God.

"Well, Chloe? Aren't you going to introduce me?" His eyes told me I was going to do what he wanted and when he got his hands on me, I was dead.

"Who is he, Chloe? Is he the one who hurt you?" I winced from the venom in Tori's voice but there was no way I was ignoring her question when she sounded like that.

"Y-yes." I wanted to look down, knew I should but my eyes refused to leave his. There was no escaping.

"Well, now that all the formalities are out of the way, I'm here for Chloe. So hand her over and maybe _you'll_ live to see tomorrow," Liam smirked, knowing I heard the hidden meaning. I was going to be dead by this time tomorrow no matter how this turned out.

"Like hell we will. Why don't you leave before someone gets hurt?" Simon took a step forward; looking like he was going to punch Liam but Derek pulled him back, roughly.

"Leave. _Now_." Derek's eyes were as hard as his voice. There was no room to argue but then again, Liam never argued with anyone.

"Don't be stupid. You can't keep Chloe away from me—she's mine. Not yours. Mine. And she always will be." He looked over at me, cowering in the doorway. "Isn't that right, Chloe?"

Everyone was watching, I could feel all their eyes on me but there was no point in lying to them. Liam would always control me no matter where I was. But I didn't want to go back to that life. Not when I'd already gotten out. If I went back, and Liam decided to let me live, I'd never leave. I would stay there and get beaten black and blue everyday for the rest of my life.

"I-I don't want t-to go b-back." Liam looked enraged the minute those words left my mouth. I was crossing a line, I knew I was but it was too late to go back and fix it.

"Obviously she doesn't. So get out of here."

"Don't talk to me like that if you don't want someone here to die." Liam's deadly words sent a shiver down my spine and I started to tremble. So scared. Why did he have to find me? Why?

"How'd you find us?" Liam smirked at Simon.

"I have my sources, now give her to me. You have no right to her." I whimpered at his words. _He's right; I'll always belong to him in some way._ There was no running from him.

"She doesn't _belong_ to you. Don't talk about her like that!" Derek charged toward Liam, probably planning to punch him in the face but Liam was faster. He sidestepped Derek's punch and twisted Derek's arm behind his back. Suddenly, a bunch of people burst through the door, and I shrunk back, further away from them. Liam saw his friends come barreling in and threw me a victorious look.

"Looks like my back-up is here." He let go of Derek and walked towards me, a hungry expression on his face. In the background, his friends were fighting Tori, Simon and Derek, keeping them preoccupied.

"So you thought you could get away from me? You little whore!" He backhanded me across the cheek and I stumbled back, hitting my head against the wall.

"What did you think you were doing? You have no right to cheat on me!" He pinned me against the wall, effectively blocking me from escaping. I whimpered and my breathing spiked, terror taking over.

"Don't you dare forget who you belong to! YOU'RE MINE!" He kneed me in the stomach and I dropped to the ground, all the air whooshing out of my lungs. Liam was on top of me, his breath mingling with mine and that familiar glint in his eyes. His lips came crashing down and I struggled trying to get him off me but it was no use. His grip on me was too tight.

"You're my wife. You don't belong to anyone but _me_." He held up my hand with the wedding ring on it, shoving it in my face.

"YOU BELONG TO ME! Don't you dare forget that!"He got up and kicked me in the stomach again and again. It hurt, it hurt so much. A sob escaped and the tears started.

"P-please, Liam. Please, please, please. Stop! Stop, please!" The desperation in my voice was unmistakable but Liam just dropped on top of me again, a disturbing look in his eyes.

"You need to remember who you belong to. Don't fight it, Chloe. You know you want it, too, you worthless piece of junk. No one else would be willing to do this for you."

His hand traveled up my shirt touching me in places I didn't want him to touch, his lips crashing down on mine, forcing me to comply to his wishes. I felt him pop the button of my jeans and I sobbed, because it was happening again. But then, all of a sudden, he was gone and I was left, shivering on the floor.

Derek's voice boomed in my ears. "Don't you dare touch her like that! GET OUT!" Liam laughed and I heard someone curse.

His sinister voice reached my ears, blocking out the sound of my sobs. "Don't forget, Chloe, there's no escaping from me. I'll always find you." Then there was the sound of the door slamming shut.

**Review? **


	10. Chapter 10

"Chloe, sweetheart, you need to tell us more. Talk to me." Mr. Bea was giving me a pleading look. He wanted answers but I couldn't give him any. I just couldn't.

After Derek had thrown Liam out, I laid on the floor shivering. Tori had moved into my line of vision and I felt her button my jeans. After which, she helped me to the couch where Derek and Simon were sitting. Sometime in all this, Mr. Bea had come back from somewhere and demanded to know what happened to his house. So Simon gave him a run down of what happened while I shook and whimpered and tried not to listen.

So now, here we were with the interrogating questions I was trying so hard to avoid.

"Chloe, just tell us something, anything. We want to help you but you need to let us in a little more. How could Liam have known where to look for you?" Simon was practically begging me to tell him something and I hate that I didn't have the courage to tell them.

This seemed like the only question they were interested in. Everyone was asking me this. Mr. Bea, Simon, Tori. Everyone but Derek. He just sat there, staring at me. It made me uncomfortable and I looked down hoping I didn't do something wrong.

"Please, Chloe. Please?" Tori sounded desperate and I couldn't blame her. She paused when I glanced up at her briefly, but there's just no way.

"I-I d-don't. I c-can't. Can't talk about it."

"But—"

"Simon lay off her. If she doesn't want to talk about it, we have no right to force her." Derek sounded irritated and I looked up to see him running his hand through his hair. "Besides, it's obvious the most likely possibility would be Ramon. Think about it. He knows where Dad's house is because Tori brought him here and then Liam shows up here right after we arrive? What are the odds?"

"Yeah, but, how could he know where we were going? I checked to make sure he wasn't anywhere near the house before I packed my things." Tori sounded confused but there was still anger simmering under the surface.

"I don't know how but it's the only explanation that makes sense." Derek was frustrated; it was obvious in his voice and his posture.

"We don't have to talk about this now. My guess is: he's not going to come back for a while, so we need to get out of here. Chloe, are you okay with that?" Mr. Bea turned to me, a questioning look on his face.

"Um, y-yes. Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay, let's go pack some necessities and then we'll go." Simon, Tori and Mr. Bea got up and headed to the kitchen, leaving me alone with Derek.

"Hey, I'm sorry for all those questions they were asking you. They're just trying to help, but it's okay if you can't talk about it. I understand."

"No, i-it's fine. I know they just want to help. It's just, I…"_What?_ What _was_ really going on with me? I didn't understand at all. Why did I feel so comfortable with Derek and why did I feel sad that Liam got to me first?

"It's okay. You know, it would change a lot of things if you went to the police."_The police?_ NO! That'd just make it easier for him to find me! I'm not sure what expression was on my face but Derek raised his hands in alarm and his eyes widened.

"I'll understand if you don't. You're not ready—I get it. But the police would protect you and he'd be put in jail where he belongs. Just something to think about."

He'd be in jail, where he wouldn't be able to reach me.

"Just so you know, everyone here would protect you, too. Whatever it takes. Simon and Tori already think of you as their sister and Dad's already acting as if you're family. He may not know your whole story, but he knows enough and I'm sure he's filled in the gaps by now." An uncomfortable expression crossed his face and he looked down. "I would protect you, too. Against anything and anyone. No matter the consequences."

With that, he got up and walked into the kitchen to join his family after giving me a small smile. What was that about? Did he really care about me, or was he just saying that?

Before I could ponder more about what that meant, Simon came back with a backpack, followed by Tori, Derek and Mr. Bea each carrying bags. Derek also had the small, worn out bag with all my things in it.

"Chloe, are you sure you don't want to go to the police about this? He's a dangerous person, we can all see that and it'll only get worse from here. The police could help you; they'd keep you safe." Mr. Bea sounded completely sure o what he was saying, even though I didn't.

Shaking my head, I gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I-I just can't. I'm s-sorry."

"It's okay, Chloe. No one here judges you for that. It's fine. Now, we better get going."

I must've had looked a little confused because Simon told me we were going to stay at his Dad's friend's house. Just for a while until we find somewhere else to stay.

Now I was uprooting Mr. Bea from his home, too. I didn't understand why they even bother to go to all this trouble for me.

As we were all loading into the car, I noticed a black car go past on the street. Liam had a black car that looked exactly like that. _It's not him; it can't be him. No. It can't be him…he's gone. It's just my imagination getting to me. That's all._

I guess I was trembling slightly because Tori leaned over and asked if I was okay.

"Y-yeah. I-I'm fine." Tori gave me a weird look but decided to let it drop. The drive to Mr. Bea's friend's house was quiet except for Simon filling me in on the details. Apparently, Mr. Bea's friend, Andrew, lived by himself but the house was supposed to be pretty big and located in the suburbs so we'd get some more privacy than in the city.

"So here we are. Andrew said he wouldn't be home until four so we could just go in." We climbed out and Mr. Bea retrieved the key from under the eave and swung the door open. I was immediately hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. Something about this place seemed so familiar but I just couldn't place it.

"All the bedrooms that aren't occupied are ours. Pick whichever ones you want. Then I need everyone in the kitchen; we need to figure out what to do with this guy." His voice and expression were dead serious at this last part and I shivered, hoping nothing really bad was going to happen.

After picking my room at the end of the hall, I sat down on the bed for a while. There was something about this house. I didn't understand why I felt like I have been here before. A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see Tori standing in the doorway, a small smile on her face.

"Hey, is it okay if I come in?" I nodded and she came and plopped down on the bed beside me after closing the door.

"So I know so far, life has been a bitch to you but I just want you to know that we're here for you. Everyone in this house thinks of you as family already and you know, family honor and everything. You're family, so we'll protect you." She paused and looked over at me slyly. "Besides, I think Derek would be more than willing to swoop in and save you."

I blushed, but I had no idea why. "What do you mean?" Tori gave me an incredulous look.

"You're honestly telling me you don't notice the way he looks at you? Chloe, Derek's more open and happy with you than I've ever seen before. He told you he had trust issues and yeah, he's gotten over it mostly. But honestly? I've never seen him accept someone the way he did with you."

I just stared at her, dumbfounded. No way someone like Derek liked me. How could he? I was plain, weak and pathetic. Tori must be getting the wrong idea, there was just no way Derek could like me

Tori smiled knowingly, "You might not realize it, but you're an amazing person. You're not just a pathetic, defenseless piece of trash. That's not you, Chloe. Derek really likes you." I blushed at this last part and she laughed.

"So, now that that's out of the way, we better get down to the kitchen, before Dad comes up to see what we're doing." She got up so I followed her and we walked to the kitchen to find Derek, Simon and Mr. Bea all sitting at the table.

"Girls, come sit down. There are a few things I want to talk about." I gulped nervously and took a seat between Tori and Derek. Blushing when I remembered what Tori told me about him. _That he likes me._ He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment when he noticed my blush. Our moment was interrupted when Mr. Bea cleared his throat.

"Chloe, I know this is hard for you but you need to do something about Liam. He's not going to stop until you make him stop. I can't stay here, I have to go back for work but I want you to consider something." He paused and looked at me closely. "Since you refuse to talk to the police, why don't you divorce him, Chloe? He won't have as much of a hold on you if you're not his wife."

_Divorce. _That word that I have avoided like a wraith since the day he started beating me. What would it mean if I decided to get a divorce? All I wanted was a loving relationship like Mom and Dad had. Someone to hold me and understand me and be there for me. No matter what. I didn't understand why I couldn't have that.

"Divorcing him will give you another chance at love, Chloe. Don't tell me you don't want a healthy, loving relationship. Practically everyone does."Tori was right I did want that, but I wasn't ever going to get that. Not like everyone else.

"Chloe, you deserve better than him. No one deserved to be treated the way he treated you. No one." Derek sounded angry. I never noticed before but he always sounded angry whenever we talked about Liam.

"Don't worry about making the decision now, Chloe. If you need some time to think things over, we'll understand. It's a big thing and divorce does mean you're going to have to talk to him again. It's just something we want you top think about." Simon sounded reassuring. They were all just trying to help me.

If I weren't married to him anymore, he wouldn't be able to claim me as his. Not really. He wouldn't be able to hold marriage over my head like an axe. But to divorce him, I'd have to talk to him and possibly meet with him somewhere. What if he does something? I didn't want to see him anymore. I didn't. But I wanted to get better. I wanted to get my life back. Maybe this was a good thing. Divorce.

Maybe I should get a divorce. It was really the only thing that bonded me to him. If I divorced him, I might not have to deal with him anymore. Like cutting the chains that bound us together. I could be free.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at every one, "I want to divorce Liam."

**Talk to me. Was it good?**


	11. Chapter 11

DPOV

For the first time, Chloe actually looked like the strong, confident girl she really was. I was proud of her.

"You're doing the right thing, Chloe. I'm proud of you." I smiled at her and she blushed and gave me a shy smile in return.

"There's something else I want you to consider. Chloe, I know things have been hard for you and that's why I'm suggesting this." Dad paused, probably for dramatic effect. "Would you be open to seeing a therapist? To help you get over this?"

"Talking to someone could really help. It's good for you to have someone to talk to. Besides, everything you say there will be confidential. No one's going to know except you and your therapist unless you decide to tell someone." Simon sounded like he was close to pleading. If Chloe refused, he'd be down on his hands and knees in no time. And judging from the way Tori was staring at Chloe, she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Well, Chloe? What do you say?"

I glanced at her and she looked a little nervous but she must have come to the conclusion that she wasn't going to win this one if she said no because she nodded a bit reluctantly. "Okay, I'll go. I don't think Simon or Tori's going to take no for an answer, anyway."

I laughed, surprised. It seems we were on the same page. "Did you read my mind or something? That's what I was thinking."

Chloe blushed again and looked up at my shyly. "Well, Tori's expression and Simon's tone said everything. It was kind of obvious."

This time, it was Dad's turn to laugh. "She's got a point there, Derek."

After this, the atmosphere dissolved to a less serious one and Dad went and got dinner from the kitchen. Apparently Andrew had left us food. At six, Andrew came home and apologized for being late, we ate dinner while Dad gave him an abbreviated version of why we were here and introduced Chloe. After which, we all dispersed to get some time alone after this, for lack of a better word, eventful day.

Sitting in my room, all I really wanted was to be left alone for a while. Of course, this was when someone decided to knock on the door. _Honestly, why can I never get any time for myself?_ Opening the door, I was fully ready to give whoever was on the other side a piece of my mind when I actually _saw_ who it was and all my complaints went out the window.

"Hey."

She fidgeted, "Um, hi. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure. Come in." I closed the door behind her and watched while she took in the room that wasn't really mine.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

She sat down on the bed and gestured for me to do the same so I did, a little wary of what she could possibly have to say. I guess her nerves where contagious because now I was nervous, too.

"Um, well, I don't know how to say this so…do you, um doyoulikeme?"

_Whoa, did she just ask me… No way. Argh! Tori, I'm going to kill you!_

"Wh-why do you think that? Did Tori say something?" Of course she did the meddling pest.

"Well, sort of. Um, does this mean she was wrong?" DEAD meddling pest!

"No! Yeah, yeah I-Ilikeyou."_God this is so awkward._

"Oh, um, okay. Well, um I think…I think I like you, too." No way. She keeps taking me by surprise. Did she just say she liked me?

"You like me?"_Yeah, way to sound smart, Derek._

"Yeah, I like you." _What are we? In elementary school?_

I smiled at her. "So maybe when this is all over, you want to go on a date?"

"Really? Yeah, I'd like that." Her smile was radiant. It made her seem so much more carefree, happy. _Stunning._

"Good. Because I'd like that, too." Just then the door opened and Tori and Simon walked in grinning like fools. Way to ruin a moment.

"Why wait till after all this is over? Why not go see a movie or something now? Well, not now but tomorrow." Tori's voice indicated she was up to trouble. There's no stopping this girl when she set her mind on something.

"Tomorrow? But don't you need to get the papers for the divorce or something?" Chloe really seemed confused but there was an undertone of excitement there, too.

"Yeah but that's going to take a few days and you really don't need to be there. Dad called a therapist that I know from work and set up an appointment for you on Saturday at one in the afternoon. So you really don't have anything to do tomorrow." She had this all planned out.

"Besides, why would you want to stay here all day when you could go out with Derek and have fun? And before you ask, Derek's got a couple weeks off work right now. So he's all yours." Whenever Simon and Tori on the same side, I knew I was going to lose.

"You know, Chloe, I'm okay with going to see a movie tomorrow if you're okay with it. If it's too soon for you to be going out with me, I get it. It's okay."

"N-no. I'd like to see a movie with you. If you're okay with it."

"Yeah, that's fine. So tomorrow, then?" Here we go, sounding like high school kids all over again.

"Okay, tomorrow." She gave me a small, shy smile. Always so shy; it was cute.

"Great! Come on, Chloe. We need to pick out clothes for you." With that, Tori dragged Chloe from the room, leaving me with Simon.

"So you're going on a date." Simon smirked at me. "Have fun." He left, closing the door behind him and leaving me at the mercy of my thoughts.

_I have a date with Chloe tomorrow._

**A short filler chapter. I've got something planned but I need to build up to it, so hang in there. Thank you to everyone who pointed out that Kit's hair is black! **


	12. Chapter 12

DPOV

This felt so surreal, like a distant memory or a very satisfying dream. Today is my big date with Chloe and I still couldn't seem to wrap my head around it.

"Derek! You ready for the big date, bro?" Simon sounded almost as excited for this as I am. I guess it said something about my dating life when my brother was excited for my date.

"Yeah, sure. Of course I'm ready. Why wouldn't I be?" _God, it's so obvious I'm nervous._

"Well, seeing that it's the first date you've been on since you came to live with us, I'd say you have a right to be pretty nervous. It's gonna be fine." Just then Chloe and Tori appeared at the bottom of the stairs. _Guess it's time to go._

"Hey, you look good." I smiled at her because if I was nervous, Chloe looked like she was going to have a nervous breakdown.

"Thanks. Um, you look good, too." She blushed lightly. Love that blush.

"Well, ready to go?"

"Yeah." We stood there awkwardly for a moment. Neither knowing how to proceed. Thankfully, Simon and Tori stepped in for us.

"What are you two waiting for then? Get going!" Even Tori sounded eager.

"Get going." Simon pushed me out the door and ushered Chloe out after. "Oh, and have fun!" With that, the door slammed in our faces, leaving us standing on the other side trying to recover from being kicked out.

"So, wanna get going? I left my car back at my house so we're going to have to use Andrew's."

"That's fine. Let's go." She gave me a shy smile and I started leading the way to the car.

On the way to the theater, we chatted about anything and everything we could think about. The conversation flowing freely—a comfortable atmosphere engulfing the car. It felt like we've been doing this for years. Natural. Who would've thought we would get along so well?

Pulling up to the theater, the conversation came to a halt and the awkwardness came back. Am I supposed to open the door for her? Would she like that? What if she doesn't? Hell, it's just a door. _Get a grip, Derek._

I walked over and opened the car door for her, like a good boy. She thanked me quietly and made our way to the theater to make yet another awkward decision on what movie we'd like to watch.

"What do you want to watch?" I turned to her, hoping she'd give me an idea of what kind of movies she liked.

"I'm okay with anything you pick. We don't have to watch something you don't want to."

"But what about you? Chloe, don't you want to watch a movie you'd enjoy? This is a date. It's supposed to be fun, so why don't you pick something." Chloe was fidgeting; obviously I was making her uncomfortable.

"Maybe we don't have to see a movie. There's a park around here somewhere. Do you want to go there and hang out for a bit?"

"Um, yes please. If that's all right with you."

"Of course it is. Come on, it's not that far. We can walk there." I started leading the way there and glanced back to see if she was following only to see her walking meekly behind me, head down. _Stupid. I should've known better than to turn away so abruptly like that._ It must've given her the wrong impression.

Slowing down my steps until I was right beside her, I brushed my hand down her arm, causing her to look up at me in surprise. Uncertainty and hesitation in her eyes.

"Hey, I really like you, you know. I promise not to treat you like you're worthless because you're so much more. Okay?"

She nodded slowly, as if she didn't really agree with me but didn't want to argue. _Well, that's fine. I'll make her see how amazing she is._

We arrived at the park and started walking around aimlessly. Chloe seemed lost in her thoughts and judging from the look on her face, they weren't very nice thoughts.

"Hey. What are you thinking about? You look upset." She jumped, startled and looked up at me.

"Um, I was just thinking about…you." That sent shock through my system. She was thinking about me?

"Me? Why? What's so interesting about me?"

"No one's ever been so nice to me before. You are someone I can trust. Derek, you're kind and funny and you'd do anything to keep the people you care about from getting hurt. You're showing me that it's okay to trust sometimes. I never had that with…Liam. Nothing I told him stayed between us but everything _he_ told _me_ was to be kept secret unless he wanted someone to know. Being with him made me see that the only person you can really trust is yourself. But you're showing me that I'm wrong. As long as I put my trust in certain people, I'll be fine."

Wow, I never thought of myself like that. How could she see all those things in me? How could that idiot Liam betray her trust like that? Even if he is mentally insane, which he probably is, she was his _wife_.

"Thanks. I don't know if I really am all those things but it's good to hear. Especially coming from you." I gave her a small smile—which she returned happily. It seemed to light up her whole face. Making her look so much more pretty. It felt good to know I was the one who made her look like that. Clichéd, but I really meant it.

"You should smile more. It looks really good on you." This of course, made her blush. Adorable.

"Thanks. Um, you should laugh more. It sounds good." No one had ever told me that before. _She's not just saying that is she?_ Chloe didn't seem like she'd lie about something. Maybe it's true…

"Thank you. I know we could keep going back and forth with the compliments all day but right now, I'm in the mood for some ice cream. What about you?"

At the mention of ice cream, Chloe's eyes lit up like a kid's on Christmas day. She must really love ice cream, then.

"Yes, please. Ice cream sounds really good right now." I laughed because I've never met anyone who seemed so happy about ice cream before. It was good to see her so happy.

We walked to the ice cream shop and I bought us each a cone. Chloe tried to pay but I wasn't having any of that. I'm taking her out, so I should be the one to pay. Besides, after what she went through with Liam she deserves a break from paying for things. The bastard probably made her pay for everything. That happened with one of my foster parents. The wife paid for everything while the husband spent all his money on booze and drinking. Assholes.

"It's getting late. Simon and Tori are probably dying to know how this date went. Want to start heading back to the theater?"

I glanced at her disappointed expression and felt bad for ending our fun. Me, Derek Souza, felt bad for telling someone we should start going home. _God Chloe what are you doing to me?_ Truthfully, I didn't want this day to end either but if we didn't get back soon Dad was going to have a seizure. The sun was about to set. Where had all the time gone?

"Hey, it's okay if you don't want our date to end." I grinned at her. "I don't want this date to end too. But Dad _is_ going to be worried about us if we don't get back soon. Which really makes no sense, because we're grown adults who can take care of ourselves. But I don't want to be the reason why we have to take him to the hospital because he had a seizure worrying about us."

At this, Chloe laughed and it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard in my life. Jeez, I sound like I'm in one of those typical teen movies. All that sappy romance stuff.

"Sure, of course we can go back. I don't mind really." She finished off her ice cream and glanced at me shyly, like she wanted something but then she dropped her gaze to the ground and kept walking.

Popping the rest of my ice cream in my mouth, I watched her as she hung her head dejectedly. What was bothering her? I want to hold her hand so badly but maybe that would be too soon for her. Would she be okay with that? Judging by her body language, it seems like she'd be okay with it. I mean she was sort of leaning into me. Does that mean she wanted to hold hands? Well, there was only one way to find out right? If Simon were here, he'd tell me to man up and hold her darn hand. Maybe he was right.

Reaching out slowly, I grabbed her hand and held on gently. Chloe gasped and looked up at me in surprise. Maybe she didn't want this after all.

"Um, is this okay?" I have never been so unsure of something in my life.

"Yes. Yeah, it-it's fine." A light blush colored her cheeks she smiled softly. It seems she wanted this as much as I did. The thought made me smile too and we walked like that all the way to the car.

On the ride back, Chloe kept glancing at me nervously. Something was obviously on her mind but I wasn't about to push her into talking. She'd tell me when she was ready. This apparently, was right now.

"Derek, can I ask you a question? It's kind of personal." She sounded worried, like I'd reject her or something. I glanced at her quickly, to see her expression.

"Sure, Chloe. You can ask me anything."

"Um, okay. Well, Tori told me you were mostly over your trust issues but that she'd never seen you open up to someone as quickly as you opened up to me. What changed? Why did you trust me so easily?"

Talk about personal. But I wasn't going to deny her this answer. She deserves to know. So I took a deep breath and plunged right in.

"When I first saw you at the supermarket, you looked so sad. There was something about you that made me want to protect you. Then I noticed that purple bruise on your cheek and I knew you must've gotten yourself in some trouble. Thing is, you looked so terrified of me and I had no idea what I did to make you so scared. When you started walking away from me, I noticed the panicked look on your face and I was scared for you. Something was obviously not right in your life. Then, when I heard your story, I was shocked." I glanced at her to see if she was okay. She had a contemplative look on her face.

"You're the strongest person I know. If it were anyone else, they would've stayed there until someone forcibly removed them or until they died. But you…you packed your bags and got out of there. You wanted to start your life over and get rid of him. That's more then what I would've done if I were in your place. I mean just look at my story, a few foster homes and I'd already closed myself of from the rest of the world. You had to go through so much more and you're still standing. It's amazing. No one should have to go through what you went through, Chloe. No one. I wanted to protect you and there was just something about you that told me I could trust you, so I did."

We were back at the house now and I cut the engine, anticipating her reaction. Did she find that offensive? That I saw her as weak and that's why I wanted to protect her?

Unexpectedly, she grabbed my hand and held on tight. "Thanks, Derek." She was thanking me? For what?

"What are you thanking me for?" Even I could hear the confusion in my voice.

"For sharing that with me. For treating me like I'm something that matters in your life. For taking me away from the prison I've lived in for so long."

I smiled at her. She was so cute. "No problem, Chloe." Suddenly, it's as if the rest of the world dropped away and it was just us sitting in the car, her bright sapphire eyes locked onto mine and the slight flush in her cheeks. I pulled her closer, never taking my eyes off hers. Her breathing sped up and she closed her eyes, waiting for was coming next. Hands wrapped around my neck and our lips were just inched apart, but before they got a chance to touch, there was a rough tapping on my window.

Chloe gasped and practically jumped out of my arms, scrambling out of the car. I got out and saw Simon standing there, looking confused. Like he knew what we could possibly be doing. Way to ruin a moment Simon.

**Sorry for the late update. I hope I did them justice! Thank you to everyone who reviewed :)**


	13. Chapter 13

AN

I'm really sorry I'm telling you this! I'm not going to be updating this story for a while because I've been spending too much time writing and now, I'm behind on all my projects! I promise I'll update as soon as I can. Promise! I'm aiming to get the new chapter up by May 23 at the latest. I'm sorry I made you guys wait so long just for this! Sorry for all the alerts.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been three weeks since the big date and Derek and I have been…well, I guess you could say we've been dating for all three of them. We went on trips to the park and to lunch and even managed to watch a movie yesterday. All without any of the awkwardness that occurred during our first date.

But now that it was over, and Tori was done with the papers and such, I needed to face reality and call Liam. Even my counselor, Rebecca, said I need to stop putting it off and call him. She told me that I was never going to get over him if I didn't do this and I knew she was right but it was hard to actually put her advice into practice. I hated it, but I hated Liam even more. He reduced me to nothing. An unconfident, useless fool. How had I fallen so far?

"Hey, Chloe, you sure you want to do this now? We can wait a few more days if you want. I didn't mean to make you feel pressured in any way." Tori's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned around to meet her concerned expression.

"It's okay, Tori. I'm scared but I need to do this. Might as well get this over with now instead of putting it off for later." I smiled reassuringly at her, hoping she didn't think I was lying to her or something.

Derek walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch where I was sitting facing Tori. I watched his facial expression carefully, looking for any signs that showed he was annoyed or irritated. Something told me he didn't want me to do this and I was secretly hoping I wouldn't find any disinterest there. Disinterest was bad because it meant he didn't really care about me at all. I should've known better because all I found was concern. Sometimes I wondered if this was a dream and when it ends, I'd wake up back in that dark room, bloodied and broken on the floor, waiting for someone to come save me.

I felt Derek grab my hand; a sign of comfort and support and gave him a small smile, squeezing his hand in return. My tether to the real world. I turned my head and looked at down at the phone in my hands. The sunlight filtered softly through the window and landed on the wedding band around my finger, a physical reminder of whom I really belonged to. _No_. No, that's not true. I don't belong to anyone but myself. No one owns me. Not Derek, not Tori, not Simon…not Liam. I just had to remember that and I'd be fine. Just fine.

Simon cleared his throat, catching my attention. I looked up at him and noticed he looked a little concerned. I just sighed and picked up the receiver, dialing those horribly familiar numbers. Derek squeezed my hand again as the phone started ringing in the other end.

"Why hello, Chloe. Couldn't stay away could you?" His voice sent chills up my spine and my stomach churned uncomfortably. "Did they kick you out yet? They did, didn't they? Got bored of you?"

I gritted my teeth; hopefully, all these insults weren't going to land me back in another session with Rebecca when this was over. Tori noticed my expression and gave me an apologetic look, full of worry. Everyone was always worrying.

There was a pause in his rant and I took the opportunity to say what I wanted.

"Iwantadivorce," I cringed, waiting for the inevitable, but Liam was silent. For about a whole minute he didn't say a thing, and then he exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT A DIVORCE?" I can hear his angry breathing from my end of the line. "You know what? You belong to me, Chloe. ME! I'm not going to let you go that easily, you dumb twit. Do not forget you are mine to do with as I please." A chill ran down my spine and Derek tightened his grip on my hand. Liam was laughing hysterically on the other end and then there was a click and I was left listening to the flat dial tone.

"Chloe? Hey, are you okay?" I felt the phone being removed from my grasp and then Derek was kneeling in front of me, worry clear on his face. I gave him a weak smile and nod slightly.

Of course, I'm not okay exactly. How could I be okay when Liam just threatened me? Was it a threat? Guilt coursed through me. _God, what have I gotten myself into?_ And now I have dragged these nice people in with me, too. They give and give and I never offer them anything in return but trouble.

"What did he say?" Tori asked cautiously.

"He-he said I belong to him and that he could do whatever he wanted to me. I don't think he's going t-to sign those papers."

Derek made a small noise at the back of his throat. "Like hell he's not. I don't care how we do this. He's signing those papers." He sounded determined and Simon and Tori nodded in agreement. What have I done to deserve the kindness of these people? I understood that I may not see myself clearly but it was still hard to believe that I deserved kindness.

"Come on, with Dad and Andrew at work, we've gotta feed ourselves right?" Simon stood up and headed to the kitchen after giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"No, Simon. I'm pretty sure the only reason you're saying that is because you're not capable of feeding yourself." Tori called after him.

We all heard an indignant scoff from the other room and Simon's irritated reply. "Please, Tori. You couldn't even broil an egg." With that, Tori's expression instantly changed to one of anger and she stormed into the kitchen screaming profanities and jabs at Simon's mental health.

Derek shook his head and studied me. Self-conscious, I looked down at my hands folded in my lap until a warm hand grabbed my chin gently and guided my head up. My eyes met Derek's emerald ones and I felt like I was floating. They made me feel safe and secure: like nothing could touch me as long as Derek was with me.

"Are you okay?" I smiled at him softly. Of course I was okay. How could he think otherwise? As long as he was with me, I would be fine.

"Of course, Derek. Why do you ask?" He had a look of surprise on his face. I guess he wasn't expecting that. Well, I couldn't blame him, really. I wasn't expecting that myself.

"It's nothing. I just want to make sure you're not going to have a panic attack or freak out or anything. You shouldn't be worried, Chloe. You know Simon, Tori and I would do anything to save you." He was so good to me.

"How do you do that? How do you make me feel like everything's going to be fine even though I think otherwise?" A gentle look came over his face—which quickly turned into a playful smirk.

"Maybe it's because I'm just that good. I've cast an unbreakable spell on you. That's why you idolize me." I laughed at this. If only he knew. He'd already cast his spell the moment I bumped into him in the grocery store. Derek laughed with me and pulled me into his lap, a little hesitatingly.

I lay my head on his shoulder and Derek rested his chin on my head, sighing contently. This was what I wanted. A peaceful life full of laughter. Why couldn't I have that with Liam? What happened there, anyway? What happened to him?

"So lunch will probably be ready in a few hours. What do you want to do?"

I was so tired all of a sudden. Tired of all my pathetic problems and tired of thinking about Liam and Derek. All I wanted was to lie down and sleep for a while and told Derek such. He looked worried for a minute but after a while he leaned down and pecked me in the lips sweetly. I smiled and he let me down from his lap.

"I'm okay, really. Just a little tired. Nothing life threatening." I teased lightly. Derek smiled and walked me to my room where we shared another kiss before he left to go help Simon and Tori in the kitchen. I sighed and closed the door behind him.

How had I ended up with someone like Derek? He was amazing in so many ways. So caring and compassionate, and yet at the same time, protective and strong. I made to flop down on my bed but something made a sound behind me.

I froze scared. It couldn't be any of the others; they were all in the kitchen. Maybe it was Derek coming back to check on me or something. Yeah it must be him. But when I turned around, no one was there. Odd. And there it was again. A creak, like someone stepping on a loose floorboard.

A pair of hands grabbed me roughly, one covering my mouth while the other dragged me back to whoever was behind me. I fought back, kicking and screaming though no one could hear me because of the hand over my mouth.

I bit my attacker's hand like they do in those books and they released me, stumbling a little but before I had a chance to run that horribly familiar voice whispered in my ear, freezing me in my tracks.

"You little bitch. You're going to pay for that." All of a sudden there was a sharp pain in my head and the world faded to black.

**So sorry for the late update and the short chapter! I know I said May 25 but things were a little more hectic than I thought they would be. So I'm sorry! If I still have readers, please review? Was it worth the wait?**


	15. Chapter 15

I didn't know why Chloe was taking so long to come down; I had called her three times by now. What if something happened? _What? That's crazy. She's probably just sleeping or something. Right? Maybe I should go wake her up._

I hesitated outside her room, not wanting to disturb her but Simon and Tori were going to throw a fit if I didn't get her down there and soon. Sighing, I opened her door calling her name but was only met with silence. She wasn't there. Where could she be?

_Maybe she was in the bathroom. Girls took their time in there, right?_ Walking over to the bathroom, I felt the slight prick of anxiety. What if she wasn't there? What could've happened to her?

"Chloe? Chloe, are you in there! Hello?" My insistent banging must have alerted Simon and Tori to my predicament because a few minutes later they came running up to me, out of breath.

"Derek. Why in the world are you breaking down the door? Aren't you supposed to be getting Chloe? Where is she, anyway?" Tori's incessant questions were annoying, especially when Chloe was missing! _Oh, my God, Chloe's missing!_

Panic welled up inside me and I rushed downstairs calling her name, hoping to God she was here somewhere. Simon and Tori rushed after me. I could hear them talking arguing with each other about whether or not something was wrong. Obviously, something was wrong!

"Derek, what's wrong? Where's Chloe?" I looked at Simon, and something in my eyes made him flinch.

"I can't find her, Simon. I can't find her! Where is she?" Panic was clear in my voice. I've never been this worked up before. Shock was clear on Tori's face, which quickly turned to anger. Unbridled, destructive anger and I knew whoever took Chloe was going to have to face Tori's wrath.

"I'm going to kill them! They're going to pay! NO ONE messes with my family! NO ONE."

"Hey, Tori, I know you want to get Chloe back as much as I do but you need to calm down. We are never going to get anywhere if you don't calm down."Simon, always the calm one.

"He's right. We're getting Chloe back, whatever it takes. But we can't do this alone. We'll need the police." Sorry Chloe, but this needs to be done. God I hoped she didn't mind.

"But, Derek, if we get the police involved, we'll have to tell them about Chloe's past and we all know she doesn't want that." Simon said. There was a hint of hesitation in his voice but I could tell he agreed with me. Beside him, Tori nodded vigorously but there was a glint in her eyes. If we had to get the police involved to find Chloe, she would do it without a second thought.

"We'll have a better chance of finding Chloe if we get the police involved. But the thing is, we can't file a missing persons report until twenty-four hours later." The stupid police system! When people say someone is missing: they are missing! There was no point in waiting twenty-four hours!

"We can't just sit here doing nothing! Let's go look for her! C'mon, Derek, let's go." Tori got up and collected her shoes waiting impatiently for Simon and I to join her. When that woman was determined, nothing could stop her.

"Tori, we don't know who took her. How are we supposed to go looking for her?"

"Looking for who?" Andrew came strolling in, a confused look on his face. Wasn't he supposed to be at work? What was he doing here?

"Chloe's missing! We gotta find her!" Simon shouted, frantic. What happened to his calm demeanor?

"Aren't you supposed to be at work, Andrew?" I kept the suspicion out of my voice although I'm not sure if I succeeded. There was just something wrong about Andrew coming home early the day Chloe goes missing. _He never leaves work early._

"I remembered I left something here and came back to get it. Then I come in and hear you talking about finding someone. So Chloe is missing? Did you call the police?" I scoffed at his stupidity. With all the time he spends teaching students about the law at school, you'd think he'd know more about police policies.

"The police won't search for anyone unless they've been missing for twenty-four hours. Unless you know someone personally, we're out of luck." There was a mocking edge to my words, and if I could hear it, so could everyone else. Tori looked at me strangely but I just turned away from her to put on my shoes and rush out the door.

No one kidnaps Chloe and gets away with it. No one. Whoever it was, is going to pay; possibly with their life. Who would want to kidnap Chloe, anyway? The only person who could possibly have a motive is…

"Shit!" LIAM! How could I be so dense! Running footsteps could be heard behind me, and then, Simon, Tori and Andrew were there, anxious expressions on their faces. _I'm so stupid!_

"He's going to die. I'm gonna kill him!" My hands clenched into fists, and Simon, noticing this, placed a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Who are you talking about, Derek? Why are you so angry besides the obvious? Did you figure out who took Chloe?"

I looked around at their hopeful faces and knew this wasn't going to go down well with them. Looking to Andrew, I noticed there was something about his expression that just wasn't right. He didn't look that hopeful, more apprehensive than anything else. Something didn't add up here but I couldn't put my finger on what. Something just wasn't right. Maybe I shouldn't tell Andrew my suspicions. That could wait. There was no way we're going to be able to find Liam by ourselves.

"It's nothing. I just remembered Simon broke my CD player and never told me about it." I glanced at my adopted brother and gave him an accusing look. It was really rather useful I have gotten so good at lying. I guess all those years of not trusting anyone finally paid off.

"Hey, sorry, bro. I meant to tell you, really. Besides, shouldn't we be looking for Chloe? Who knows what could be happening to her by now!" Beside him, Tori nodded frantically and I sighed. Tired of all this useless standing around. What else was there to do, though? Maybe the police would actually listen to us if we told them Chloe was missing. I highly doubt it, though.

"I'm going to try contacting the police. Maybe they'll make an exception and send us a search party for Chloe. I doubt it, though. Those stupid police rules and all."

Tori gave me an approving look and started jogging back to the house, the rest of us following. With all the thinking and talking we were doing, I never noticed how far we'd actually walked. At least three blocks from the house. How the hell had we managed to go this far and I never noticed?

Finally, we got back to the house and I headed straight for the phone, Simon and Tori following after me. Andrew taking his time behind them. Something was definitely wrong here.

"Hello. Police Department. Alicia Harold speaking." The voice from the other line said.

"Hi, I want to report a missing person by the name of Chloe Saunders. I think. I'm not exactly sure about her last name, as she never told me much about it."

"And how long has she been missing?" I hesitated at this one. Maybe I could lie and tell them she's been missing for a day and a half instead of three hours. _No, Derek, get a grip. That's the dumbest idea you've ever had._

I sighed sadly. "Three hours, miss." The person on the other side sighed irritably. It was obvious she was tired of explaining to people about police policies.

"I'm sorry sir but a missing person's report can only be filed after the person in question hasn't been seen or heard from in at least twenty-four hours."

"I _know_ that! But I also know beyond a doubt that Chloe is missing and we need to find her now! I am not taking no for an answer."

The woman sighed again; frustration was evident in her voice with the next sentence. "Sir, rules are rules. I'm sure you're friend is fine and just snuck out to have some alone time or something. I'm sure she's fine. If she doesn't show up by tomorrow, then I suggest you call and we will talk then."

I ground my teeth together. This woman was annoying. Why couldn't she see Chloe was in danger! Even though I was expecting this kind of reaction, it still bothered me. At this I snorted and Simon and Tori looked at me strangely. What an understatement.

"I want you to organize a search party now. I don't care about your dumb rules. I. Want. To. Find. My. Girlfriend. Now." On the other end of the line, a faint conversation could be heard. It sounded like someone on the other side wanted to know what was going on.

"Sir, with all the commotion, I seemed to have forgotten to ask your name."_Yeah right, lady. More like you didn't want to bother with formalities when this was probably just a waste of your time, right?_

"My name is Derek. Now will you help me get my girlfriend back or will I have to do this by myself?" There was no concealing the seriousness in my voice. Even Simon and Tori gave me a worried look.

Suddenly, a new voice came over the line, "Sir, I know you're worried about your friend but I'm sure she's fine. Please call us back tomorrow if she hasn't made it back yet."

"You don't get it do you? We know for sure that she was kidnapped because one minute, she was in her room and the next, she was gone. You better believe me when I say she had no reason to sneak out, and therefore, she was kidnapped. I—"

There was a startled gasp from the other side of the line. "Wait a minute. Hold on. You wouldn't happen to be Derek Souza, would you?" What? How did this person know who I was? _I _didn't even know who he is. _Who the hell is he?_

"What does my name have to do with anything? Unless I'm supposed to know you, I don't understand why you would need to know my name." Simon looked at the phone strangely, as if it was going to explode at any minute.

"I'm Jake Morris. Simon's friend from high school, remember? How are you? Been doing good?" Jake Morris? _Who?_ Oh, that's right. Simon's kind of short, geeky friend who liked to talk a lot. Who would've thought he would grow up to become a protector of the people?

"Oh, that's right. Yeah, we're fine. But that's beside the point! I want a search team to look for Chloe. Now." An audible sigh was heard from the other line and if this guy knew me at all, he would know there was no stopping me now.

"Derek, I don't think this is possible. It would be a violation of the rules."

"Look. Either you help us or we do this ourselves and you know perfectly well how that is going to turn out." Of course, Simon, Tori, and I would all go out there, uncertainly calling Chloe's name and getting alarmed looks form passersby while the police sat idly by and did nothing.

Jake must have realized this as well since another tired sigh could be heard from the other line. "Fine. My partner and I will be over to discuss this with you. We just need your address and then we'll be right over."

I hate his placating tone but if it means we were one step closer to getting Chloe back, I'll take it. I am going to find that jerk and kill him. He was never laying hands on Chloe ever again. If it's the last thing I do.

**Sorry I took so long to update. Don't know if you guys will like this chapter. Things will pick up again next week, and all questions will be answered. Promise! So, next chapter we'll see what happened to Chloe. Wanna find out? **


	16. Chapter 16

The incessant banging somewhere in the room was what greeted me when I woke up. It sounded like someone was nailing something to the wall. The sound wasn't helping my pounding headache at all. Opening my eyes slowly, I tried to take stock of my surroundings. If the pale yellow walls, wood flooring and the hard bed I was currently lying on were any indication, I wasn't at Andrew's any more. _So where was I? What happened?_ Then, everything that happened today seemed to rush back into my mind. Calling Liam about the divorce, the insults, talking to Derek, going to take a nap, and getting knocked out.

That means I must be somewhere with Liam…oh, my God. I could be anywhere and I'm with _him. _He's going to kill me this time. There was nothing and no one to stop him from killing me. No reason for him to let me live this time. _I'm going to die. I have to get out of here!_ Heart pounding, breathing erratic, I throw the covers back and look frantically around for a way to escape. There weren't any windows! But there was a door at the far end of the room. Maybe if I was lucky, Liam wouldn't be on the other side. Maybe I'd just be able to walk out of here. But who was I kidding? I couldn't even lie convincingly to myself.

Without realizing it, I'd somehow made my way to the door and was now holding the doorknob in my hand. My stomach was doing flips and now my whole body was shaking but if I didn't go out there, he might come in here and who knows what he'd do to me. At least if I'm out there, I'd have a better chance to escape.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I opened the door and stepped out. Pale yellow walls, a couple of comfy looking couches and a big curtain covering the back wall. Before I could look around anymore, something hard shoved me forward to the center of the room, making me stumble. Gasping, I turned around slowly and _he _was standing there, arms crossed with a sadistic smile on his face.

"So you finally woke up. So nice of you to finally join us." I couldn't take my eyes off him. It was like he had cast a spell over me and all I could see was him. His creepy smile mocking me and his eyes promising pain. And he said us. Who else could possibly be here?

"Wh-what do y-you mean 'us'?" A look of mock surprise crossed his face and I shivered involuntarily. Nothing good can come out of this now.

"Didn't he tell you? Andrew, I think it's time to come out. You should introduce yourself properly to my…_wife_." There was that word again. _Wife_. The biggest mistake I'd ever made in my life. Second only to trusting Andrew, who was walking in—a slight smile on his face.

"Hello, Chloe." I didn't understand how he could just stand there and act as if there was nothing wrong with this situation. As if he did this all the time and was so used to it. I couldn't think straight and only managed a one-word question.

"Why?" The word came out strangled and no louder than a whisper. Liam smirked at this but Andrew's face remained impassive.

"Really, Chloe, you didn't think it was weird that a complete stranger would let you stay in their house without asking any questions? How dense are you?" There was a mocking tone to Andrew's voice that scared me a little. Betrayal sliced through me like the sharp point of a knife. In a way, this was worse than what Liam did to me.

"Now that we've got introductions out of the way, Andrew, go guard the door." Andrew nodded and left without another word. _Isn't he older than Liam? Shouldn't _Liam_ be the one who was following orders?_

"So, Chloe. It would seem we are all alone now." At the mention of being alone, my already erratic breathing kicked up a notch and the shaking stated again. I'm not sure it really stopped.

But before I could even contemplate what Liam was going to do to me, his fist hit me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I doubled over, wheezing but before I could get my breath back, my legs were knocked out from under me and I went crashing to the floor. Then he was on top of me screaming profanities.

"You worthless slut! What do you think you were doing! Going out with _another man_! Have you forgotten that you. Are. _Mine_. Well?" Oh, God, I should have known something was wrong! Why else would anyone let me into their house without even asking any questions?

His hand was crushing my windpipe, making it hard to breath and instinctively, I struggled against him, which earned me a hard slap on the face. He leaned down close to my ear and his next words chilled me to the bone.

"I'm going to kill you. Slowly and painfully. There's no escaping this. It's your fault, anyway. Worthless fool."

I looked around frantically for a weapon. Any weapon. But there wasn't one. My breathing picked up even more, which I didn't think was possible and in my frantic searching I noticed the pictures. Pictures of _him_, of him with _me_, lined the walls. Positioned just so you wouldn't notice them unless you were lying down.

The happy look in my eyes mocked me. Reminded me of what a huge mistake I had made. What a good liar he really was. Something seemed to snap in me with these thoughts. I wasn't just scared anymore. I was angry. Furious. What gave him the right to do this to me?

"Get off me! Who are you to tell me what to do? You can't kill me." Liam's expression was livid. He looked like he was ready to kill me at any second.

"You? What do you think you're doing talking back to me?" His hand pressed down harder into my windpipe, and I gasped, grabbing his hand weakly. Liam just smirked at me and pressed harder.

"Don't you know by now? I told you there was no escaping me. You are mine. You will always be mine." With that sentence, his knee dug into my ribs roughly and I whimpered at the unbearable pain while a few cracks could be heard. _How many times has it now? Five? Maybe more?_

A glint of metal caught my eye and I looked up to see Liam holding a sharp pocketknife, grinning like a madman. _Maybe he really was crazy. I married a crazy person._

He lowered the blade down to my throat and the seriousness of the situation hit me in the face. I'm going to die. This is the day I die and I didn't even tell Derek how much he meant to me. How much he helped me. I didn't get to tell Simon and Tori how funny they were and how grateful I was for their help—their support. I never got to say goodbye.

_Dear God, I don't want to die! Derek! Please come save me. Please! Please, please, please, please! Please, Derek, please come save me from him. I don't want to die!_

That involuntary whimper made its way up my throat again and Liam grins wickedly, pressing the blade harder against my skin. I could feel a slight trickle of blood make its way down my throat from the small cut he had created.

"What's the matter my little whore? Scared? You should be."

I look over his shoulder and a picture catches my attention. It's one of Liam and his mom standing under a Christmas tree, nothing to look at really except his mom is holding a tiny baby that looks suspiciously like Derek. There was a picture sitting next to it that also brought questions to my mind. It was of Liam and his dad this time, standing outside Andrew's house. And the picture next to that one depicted a happy Liam holding a model plane in Andrew's kitchen.

While I knew Andrew had been helping Liam, I just assumed he was part of Liam's gang or something. Not that there was actually history there. Liam seemed to have caught on to my distraction since he glanced behind him and smirked at me.

"Well, well, well. You found them." Through my confusion, I momentarily forgot about the knife still in Liam's hand and I couldn't help asking him a question.

"Wh-what did I find?" His eyes flashed at this. I was never allowed to question him and the rare times that I did usually resulted in a severe beating that left me unable to move for at least two days. He always left me on the floor writhing in unbearable pain and I was sure this time wouldn't be any different so I braced myself for the blow. To my surprise, nothing happened. Liam just smirked at me again.

"The answer to all of your questions: of course. These pictures? Don't you find anything interesting about them? Of course, you've seen the last two when you and my annoying mother were pouring over my kiddie pictures while we were still dating but I suppose they hold a different meaning to you now, don't they?"

At his words, I gasped, remembering doing just that with his mom. A very nice lady who offered me drinks and reminded me of my own mother. Sitting on his mother's old couch, flipping through the old album full of pictures of Liam as a child, I remembered seeing Andrew's house in almost half of them. Although, I didn't _know_ it was Andrew's house at the time. Obviously, Andrew was a big part of Liam's childhood.

"You see that first picture? That baby my mother is holding is my half brother. You know who he is?" Liam's voice had become disturbingly quiet now. A low, menacing whisper in the large room full of memories I want to forget. There was a hard look in his eyes. A freighting, murderous expression.

"That's your precious Derek! You've been CHEATING with my BROTHER BEHIND MY BACK! HOW DOES THAT FEEL, YOU SKANK?" He shoved the knife into my arm, hard, and I screamed loudly. It echoed off the walls dramatically. The knife was removed only to be placed back in again, creating a deep cut on my arm.

I was taking big, gulping breaths, but it only jostled my broken ribs, increasing the pain. Liam was laughing, as if he'd actually enjoy the sound of my pain and maybe he did. I obviously didn't know him well enough when I married the jerk.

"Th-that's not right. Derek's adopted." At this, Liam laughed and shoots me a hungry look that sent another shiver down my spine.

"Funny thing, isn't it? Mother dearest gave him up because Father divorced her and took me with him. She wanted him back, so she gave her only remaining son to an orphanage and chased after him, begging for forgiveness. Derek:completely forgotten.

"Andrew was a big part of my childhood since him and my father were friends and we would always go over to his house on the weekends. He taught me how to fish and make model airplanes. Why did you think he was helping me with you, huh? Protecting his best friend's son when the best friend was no longer able to. Noble don't you think?"

He grabbed my left hand and shoved my wedding ring in my face. "Do you see this? This means you are mine! DO YOU HEAR ME? You belong to no one but ME! NO. ONE. ELSE. _MINE._"

Recklessly grabbing my arm, he drove his knife into it again; making careless slashing motions that I couldn't decipher but they must have had some meaning to them. The pain flaring up and down my body from being jostled too much wasn't helping my thinking at all. It was an endless, excruciating pain. Even worse than the beatings he used to give me.

Once he finished with my arm, he got off of me and kicked me in the stomach, hard. Over and over and over. It was a relentless attack and there was no way I could get out of there. This is how I was going to die. In this dirty, ugly room, with my abusive jerk of a husband beating me for finding love with his half-brother and my screams echoing all around us. An endless orchestra of pain.

But it was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking somewhere in the room. Followed by frantic shouting and indecipherable screams. The pain was so overwhelming I couldn't follow anything that was going on around me and my vision was starting to get fuzzy, black spots dancing everywhere. Just when I felt unconsciousness reaching up to grab me, his voice brought me back. If only for a little while, the room became clear and I was able to see the chaos around me.

Police were swarming around, fighting more people from Liam's gang of sorts who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Punches, kicks, and even unidentifiable objects were being thrown everywhere. And in the hurricane of violence, Derek was being held against the wall by Liam, who had him pinned up by the front of his shirt, screaming my name. Over and over and over.

Our eyes met and held. It felt like the first time we'd kissed all over again. I was falling, drowning, in his emerald depths. The familiar sense of protection and security I always associate with Derek enveloping me like a warm blanket. But this time, there was something different about his eyes. They showed hurt, worry, fear, pain, concern, so many negative emotions swirling around and yet, I could still see the love there.

But as soon as my vision had returned, it was gone. The pain was once again slicing through my body and my vision was blurry once more. The black spots returning. In all my agony, I didn't even notice Liam advancing on me until he was right on top of me, his lips at my ear.

"Say goodbye, Chloe. You'll never see them again, you worthless freak."

I heard Derek scream "no" before my world exploded in pain and I let the darkness enfold me in its waiting arms.

**Well? Any good? Personally I really like this chapter. What do you think? And about Chloe…. For those of you who think she's dead please refrain from killing me as I don't want to die yet. Remember, it doesn't specifically say Chloe died, which means she could still be alive!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm sorry I didn't update for such a long time! I'm sorry I just left the story hanging there with Chloe on death's door and everything. That wasn't nice of me, but my summer has been very hectic this year and I didn't have enough time to finish this chapter. I'm sorry. Well anyway, this chapter, there's going to be a huge time jump just because I couldn't write it any other way without getting writers block. It's sort of a summary of what happened after.**

On this day two years ago, it all ended. After Liam stabbed me, the police arrested him and I was brought to the hospital where they gave me a lot of tests and stitched me up. I stayed there for four months and everyday, Simon, Derek, and Tori would come to visit me. Derek wouldn't leave my side except to go home to sleep and then, only because the doctors and nurses wouldn't let him stay overnight. Personally, I was glad. I needed the reassurance that Liam wasn't going to come back to finish me off, and I needed to know that Derek wasn't going to leave me now that he didn't have to protect me from Liam anymore.

Simon and Tori brought their own form of comfort. Their light bickering and sibling rivalry was refreshing and welcome. It made me feel somewhat normal and added a sense of comfort to the all too familiar hospital room. Derek, Simon and Tori were a big comfort to me especially during Liam's trial where I had to make a recorded statement saying that yes, he did rape and abuse me. There was no way I could have survived those four months and the year that came after without those three people.

Once I was released from the hospital, we went back to their house and I attempted to get settled in and forget about Liam and what he did to me. Of course, Liam went to jail and did something no one expected him to. He killed himself. Suffocated himself with his bed sheets. Liam was always spontaneous and unpredictable. He took pride in his independence and freedom; he never did what he was told. I guess since he was in jail, he thought he had nothing left to lose. But, even though he was dead, he was still with me. Every minute of every day. Derek, Simon, Tori and my therapist Rebecca tried to help me as best they could but I think we all understood that this was something I had to work through on my own. I had to realize that what Liam did to me was not my fault. That I was not to blame and that he was never coming back for me.

Eventually, I did get better through long months of reassurances and comfort. Sometimes, everything would become so overwhelming and I'd break down, but someone was always there to pick me up again. Whether it was Simon with his hugs and kind words, Tori with her encouraging pep talks and surprisingly insightful revelations, or Derek with that sense of security only he could give me, just by being there.

Derek and I spent a lot of time together, developing an even stronger relationship than the one we'd had before. I remember he told me something that I would never forget. It was after one of my many breakdowns.

_Derek pulled me onto his lap and with surprising gentleness, dried my tears. I didn't understand why he put up with this. He must __have been__ tired of all my crying by now. Turning to look up at him, I fisted his shirt in my hand._

"_Derek. Why__…__why do you bother with me? I must be wearing you out with all my crying. Why would you care about someone as weak as me?" His emerald eyes showed surprise first, and then sadness. But where had the sadness come from? I hadn't meant to make him sad. _

"_Chloe. How many times do I have to tell you? You are not weak. You're the strongest person I know.""_

"_But__—"He__ put a finger on my lips, stopping my reply._

"_No. Listen to me. I know you don't believe me right now, but one day you will. You are strong__,__ Chloe. Yes, I know you were abused and raped. I understand that it made you feel like you were worthless and dirty. But that doesn't make you weak. Even the strongest people fall sometimes._

"_Everyone who has been through what you have been through. All the people who were raped, abused, discriminated against, assaulted. Anyone who has been through a traumatic experience and pulled through, they __are__ the strongest of us. Society calls them victims but really, they're survivors." I just looked at him. I looked at him and couldn't believe that this thoughtful person could possibly be mine. But before I could say anything, he went on._

"_You are a survivor__,__ Chloe. You are strong and don't you forget it. Strong and kind, and beautiful. And I love you for it."_

_It took me a moment to register what he just said, but once I did understand, those three words kept replaying like a broken record in my mind. _I love you._ Derek just told me he loved me! He thinks I'm strong. He thinks I'm a survivor. _He loves me?_ Tears welled up in my eyes and I __knew__ he was waiting for me to say something._

"_Are you sure you love me__,__ Derek?" __I hated the uncertainty in my voice. It made no sense that I could even think this when he'd just told me why he loved me. But I had to hear it again. I had to be sure. Derek held me tighter against him and stroked my hair with his free hand. It relaxed me and I leaned into the touch._

"_Yes__,__ Chloe. I'm sure that I love you. No regrets." I could see it in his eyes. All the love and adoration he held there for me. It was a look I'd never seen before, at least, not directed at me. But Derek was looking at me this way, and my heart swelled with happiness. I smiled at him, and cupped his cheek in my hand._

"_I love you__,__ too, Derek." He smiled at me and pulled me closer against him, his lips inches away. And then his lips were on mine and his strong arms were around me, mine around his neck. We kissed, slowly and sweetly, an electric current running through my veins. He was mine, and I was his. Both of us were survivors__;__ both of us were strong. Maybe one day, I __wouldn't__ have to remind myself of this._

That day, Derek showed me how wrong I was and I finally began to really heal from the years of abuse I'd suffered. He told me about his many foster homes and the occasional beating he'd get when one of his foster parents had a little too much to drink. He told me it wasn't as bad as what I'd been through and that I shouldn't worry because they only left bruises, but it still hurt to know he had to go through that. I understood now, why he has trust issues, but I think he was starting to heal from that, too.

Derek and I grew closer, healed from our old wounds and life went on. Tori found a nice guy and they started dating. His name was Russell and he worked at a publishing firm. They really cared for each other. You could see it in their every action and look that they'd share. Tomorrow was their wedding. I'm happy for them. I am so happy that Tori found someone who could love her unconditionally.

Simon brought home a girlfriend as well. Liz. It's amazing how small the world is. She and I lost contact with each other after I agreed to marry Liam but now, we were rebuilding our friendship. I filled her in on all that had happened to me and apologized for not listening to her when she told me to be careful. She waved it off like it was nothing and told me she was glad I was okay. I was happy to have my friend back. Happy that she had found Simon to share her life with.

I guess it was a happy ending for everyone. We were starting our lives over, and this time, maybe it would work out. There might still be ups and downs but that was all just a part of life. Thanks to the help of everyone around me, I could finally appreciate the beauty that surrounded me.

Two years ago, I got the closure I needed. One year ago, my life began, and I'm going to make the best of it. This is my new beginning. With Derek and Simon and Tori and Liz. This is _our _new beginning.

**If you're wondering why Chloe's life began one year ago, it's because she needed the other year to get over the abuse. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story through all the ups and downs. You guys are my motivation! I know the story kinda ended abruptly. Well, at least to me it seemed to end that way. But again, I got writers block when I wrote it any other way. Anyway, thanks for sticking with Chloe and Derek, through everything.**


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